Eternity Tastes Like Your Blood On My Tongue
by MrsAgentCooper
Summary: Klaroline drabbles that I post on my tumblr: canon, canon divergence and all kinds of supernatural AUs. Romance, fluff, smut and sometimes angst, but they all end with Klaroline. The latest: post season 6 AU with no magical babies; one time Caroline wakes up in his study and rushes to get out, one time she wakes up in his bedroom and chooses to stay
1. Silent, my love, I will have you forever

**AN: Hello, everyone! So as my first Klaroline Drabble Collection, "52 Weeks of Klaroline", draws close to the end (only one more chapter left, I'm emotional!), I've decided to start 2 new ones. "Eternity Tastes Like Your Blood On My Tongue" will be a collection of canon, pre/post canon and in general, supernatural AUs, while the second one, "All Roads Lead To You" will contain all human and crossover/fusion drabbles.**

 **The first few updates will be fics that I've already published on mine tumblr or written for Klarodrabblequest but haven't had a chance to upload them here yet. Still, I hope you'll enjoy them and maybe some of you haven't read them yet. And I'll start on the new stuff soon enough :)**

 **This one below is a really short drabble inspired by one of the amazing gifsets by Paula (howeverlongs) "Sometimes silence speaks louder than words". So you can blame HER for any feels!**

* * *

Words. Letters, vowels and consonants, flowing together to form a sentence.

Caroline likes words. She knows she's a talkative girl. Orders, confessions, gossip, witty retorts - it's all part of her day, puzzles in her routine. They come as natural as breathing to her.

Blurted out on the spur of the moment. Spontaneously revealed. Barked out in haste.

 _I always say the wrong things._

Klaus is different.

Worldly. Sophisticated. Suave.

His words are controlled. Pouring down slowly, like honey, they coat the valley of one's ears. Every sound, every single lilt of his voice, the gravel of his accent - planned, premeditated, overthought. The poison melts off his tongue and seeps through veins, seducing the unsuspecting victim.

What a word master he is.

 _There is a whole world out there, waiting for y o u._

 _You mark my words…small town life, it won't be enough for y o u._

… _for some reason, cares only about y o u._

 _It was all for y o u._

 _I've tried to stop thinking about y o u. And I can't._

 _For_ her. _About_ her. _Her_.

And Caroline knows, that with her - it's different. Oh, the honey and poison of his words pierce her skin and flow through her bloodstream all the same. Opening her mind. Enticing her. Seducing with possibilities.

But the control is not there. She's cold, he reacts, sentences slip off his tongue and stun her to silence.

How do you respond? What answer can you find, when this man, the most powerful creature on Earth, allows you a glimpse, a glimpse at his heart? The longing in his voice tugs at something in her, deep inside, and what more can be said, when he's just laid cities at her feet, kings and queens bowing low before her throne?

 _And you can have all of it._

He throws challenges, gifts her the worlds, uncovers it all, the truths that are both fair and ugly.

His gaze burns through her skin, his mouth grazes her cheek and his promise paints goosebumps over her aching soul.

 _I intend to be your last.  
_

And all she can do is stare back, words failing her for the first time, dying silent on her lips as only the little gasp fills the space between them.

She's not ready.

But then, deep down, under all the excuses and all the pain - she knows, clear as the tattoo etched on his skin and loud as the hummingbird singing in her ear.

She knows, someday she will be.

And someday she _is_.

Because all these words and all her silence have always led to the same path, right here in this moment.

Caroline strolls to their bed and molds herself against Klaus. She nuzzles her head into the crook of his neck and whispers, "I love you."

A pleased hum reverberates in his chest as his lips brush her forehead and she can feel his smile that forms against her skin.

Happy, she smiles back.

Because sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.

The promise that lasts through the lifetimes. Spanning centuries, wars fought and lost, civilizations built and then ruined.

He intends to be her last.

And he is. And she is.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Any thoughts? I know it's more "lyrical" than what I usually write but that's just where fingers dancing on my keyboard took me, haha.**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate :)**


	2. Green-Eyed Monster

**AN: Thank you for all the reviews/favs/follows! You guys are the best :) This is the drabble I wrote for Klarodrabblequest blog on tumblr (if you haven't, you should definitely check it out) months ago, based on this prompt:**

 _ **"Klaroline reunion in NOLA involving an extremely jealous and clingy Camille, who insults Caroline - Klaus defends her."**_

 **As you can see, it will be anti Camille and anti Klamille. So if you like these things, you will probably NOT like this drabble. Kol is well and alive (because I can), there is no Hayley and no baby.**

* * *

Caroline was not going to make it.

If the blond bartender touched Klaus' arm one more time, she would truly wreak some bodily harm on that Camille person.

Caroline had arrived in New Orleans just a week ago, after her graduation.

She had honestly thought that finishing college would've felt a lot more fulfilling but it hadn't.

It could have been because of all the people that weren't there.

Her mom was dead. Elena was still peacefully sleeping in the Salvatore crypt. Bonnie was on yet another trip to find a way to revive Elena without killing herself, with Damon, of all people. And Stefan…

Things with Stefan were still weird. After getting her humanity back, she hadn't been in a place to decide anything – besides, too many supernatural catastrophes were happening all at once. Stefan said he would wait for her and then… he did. It seemed as if all he had been doing was waiting.

And that spark Caroline had been telling herself was there – it had gotten lost and honestly, she figured she'd dodged a bullet. That was not what she wanted. What she _needed_.

When she appeared on Klaus' doorstep, Caroline could claim the pleasure of saying she'd caught the Original Hybrid off guard. He'd quickly recovered though, seeing the big suitcase she'd brought with her before pinning her to the wall, only to kiss her senseless.

Over the course of that first night, they had managed to completely devastate the larger part of the ground floor and then Klaus' bedroom. Just today they'd successfully managed to leave his den, having decided to join his siblings for drinks so Caroline could get re-acquainted with them.

And now Caroline found herself sitting next to Klaus, with Cami at his other side, and the girl seemed physically incapable of not touching him for longer than a few minutes.

That reminded her of Rebekah's response when she had asked her a few days prior why the Original blonde was being so nice to her.

 _Let's just say I've been presented with an alternative and I'm not a fan._

Caroline wasn't feeling particularly insecure – she liked to think she was past this kind of problem – and, above all, even during their short time having been reunited, Klaus had given her more than enough reassurance that it was still his intention to be her last love.

Despite this, listening to Cami making sweet excuses for Klaus' behaviour was plain torture. Like, seriously, he'd killed some witch recently only due to his ingrained subconscious hatred for witches, stemming from the open wound that was his mother's betrayal?

Honestly, Caroline was starting to develop a _not-so-subconscious_ hatred of her own.

The worst part of it was the fact that Klaus appeared to be completely oblivious to the dirty looks Camille had been throwing Caroline's way. While he seemed embarrassed by her attention and cringed every time she touched him, he also seemed unwilling to put the bartender in her place, which was both disturbing and puzzling.

Had he finally grown some consideration for other people's feelings?

"So, darling, now that you're here with us, what are your plans? You know, apart from all the entertainment you've been providing Nik in his bedroom. And all the other rooms. Such stamina for a baby vamp, really, Nik, you've got one of the good ones here," Kol taunted them, a sly smirk on his face.

"Kol…" Klaus growled, leaning towards him menacingly.

Caroline placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down and said, "No, let me."

Klaus gave her a look that said _fine-go-on-but-then-I'll-tear-out-his-liver_ but backed down.

"Why Kol? Envious your brother is getting some while you chase that sweet witch of yours like a lost puppy?" she drawled.

The corner of her mouth lifted in a self-satisfied smirk when Rebekah laughed at her remark and Kol seemed put down for a moment, her calling him out on his fruitless attempts to charm Davina clearly upsetting him.

"And to answer your question, no, I'm not going to sit prettily at home waiting to be Nik's evening special, I have plans of my own, thank you very much."

At that Klaus swiftly turned to her, his voice containing a hint of apprehension, as if he expected her to leave him this instant.

"And what exactly are those plans, sweetheart?"

"Well, we never got around to discussing it," she said and continued, ignoring Rebekah's _'wonder why'_ retort. "But I was actually considering starting an amateur theatre group or maybe getting a role in a play. I am a drama major, after all."

"Caroline, that's a wonderful idea," he replied with an encouraging proud tone.

Cami simply rolled her eyes in a way so similar to Caroline's that it actually made her shiver with creepy feels.

The conversation steered in another direction after that – yet one constant feature was Cami's crooning and purring in admiration at anything Klaus said. She didn't stop at that, though. She was trying so hard to press herself into the hybrid that Klaus, in futile attempts to escape, almost squashed Caroline into the wall.

Finally deciding she couldn't take it anymore, Caroline excused herself and went to the bathroom, only to find Cami waiting for her outside when she got out.

She had some nerve to corner her like that.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing here but if you think you're more than a one-night-stand to him, you couldn't be more wrong," Camille spluttered viciously.

"Am I? And who are _you_ to him, exactly?" Caroline baited, irritated yet amused at the same time.

 _This was going to be good._

"A really good friend. I know, I just know, he wants us to be together but he's just scared because of all those trust issues acquired from an early childhood."

Caroline wasn't able to suppress a snort because, dear gods, that was just atrocious. Also, _early childhood_? Was this girl for real?!

"Wow… that sounds suspiciously like something straight from Wikipedia or one of those do-it-yourself books."

"As a matter of fact, I am a Psych graduate so I think it's a little deeper than that, though I suspect you couldn't possibly understand."

Caroline quirked her eyebrow in a silent retort then added a hint of sarcasm to her voice.

"Do tell."

"It's clear to me that you're unable to comprehend how things work around here. Klaus is the King and has a certain reputation to uphold so you probably shouldn't put him down like that in public! And you were undermining him all night with your silly little quips! How stupid are you? He doesn't need that. Klaus needs someone who understands him, appreciates him, he needs…"

"Someone like _you_?" Caroline cut in, unruffled by her words.

Still, this conversation had just gone from vaguely fun to plain annoying, not to mention ludicrous.

Because if anyone needed to hear some hard truths, that person was Cami, not her.

Seeing the other blonde about to respond, she promptly shot her down. "That was a rhetorical question; your little rant was pretty self-explanatory. You're so oblivious it's almost physically painful to watch. Do you honestly think Klaus needs someone who excuses his behaviour? A sycophant appeasing him at everything? Because let me tell you something, I know that what he enjoys most about me is that I call him out on everything even when he hates it."

She noticed Camille open her mouth to interrupt her again and snapped, "I'm not finished!"

"What's more, Klaus doesn't need someone to psychoanalyze him or tell him what he wants. I'm sure if he was interested in that, he would make an appointment. Another thing, you may not know who I am, probably because Klaus wanted to protect me, but get it through your head that I'm here to stay."

"You bitch!" Cami exclaimed enraged, unable to find any reasonable argument.

As if right on cue, Klaus chose this moment to appear.

"What did you just say to her?" he growled, fury slipping through, his eyes piercing the bartender like a hawk.

"Oh, nothing, Camille and I were just clarifying some things, weren't we?" Caroline said with a saccharine tone before the other girl had time to respond.

But Cami looked particularly offended, blurting, "No, I'm just trying to explain to her how she's wasting her time with you! Klaus, say something, please!"

"Yes, Klaus, please do," Caroline drawled, mockingly.

Klaus still looked infuriated over Camille's remarks, yet strangely resigned.

"Camille… I've said it many times before. You're a good friend and a significant member of the human faction here but that's it. If anyone's wasting their time, it's you, and to be honest, I'm sick and tired of repeating myself. And if I ever hear you talk to Caroline like that or so much as make one misguided step in her presence, I will make you rue the day I set foot in this bar. Do you understand?"

Cami seemed to shrink under his menacing stare, her expression full of disbelief at his words and tone. Her lips quivering, she mumbled a strained 'yes', then turned around and stormed out of Rousseau's.

Caroline raised her eyebrows, casting Klaus a somewhat playful look, though internally she felt warmth spread at his fierce defense of her.

"So was she the only member of the club or can I expect more of your fangirls attacking me?

Klaus strolled to her and placed his hands on her waist.

"Don't be angry, love, I'm a king after all, I'm essentially doomed to be popular around here."

Locking her arms around his neck and pulling his hair slightly, she replied: "You're so full of yourself. But thank you for what you said, I didn't realize she was so important in the human fraction."

"Caroline, you must have seen by now that I will always come to your defense, no matter what it takes."

"I know," she whispered, tilting her head and catching his lips in a searing kiss.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading :) Please share your thoughts with me - what you liked or didn't like, any fav moments and whatever's on your mind!  
**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	3. Not That Into You

**AN: Thank you guys, I'm glad you liked the previous "jealous Cami" drabble! This is another written for Klarodrabblequest and more Cami shade is coming your way in this one. Hope you like!**

 **No baby or Hayley and no SC either. NSFW.  
**

 **If you DO like Camille/Klamille, you might not like this one.**

 ** _"Caroline goes to NOLA with her college cheerleading team(i don't know if they really have cheerleaders in college) and after the win the whole team goes to Rousseau's and of course Klaroline reunion!"_**

* * *

Entering the bar, Caroline had a pretty vivid picture of how this night was going to end in her head.

Of all the colleges in the States, it just had to be Tulane that held the big end-of-year cheerleading competition.

And it would just be her friggin' luck - at the bar afterwards, celebrating their win with her teammates, she ended up at the one place with the most boring bartender talking her ear off. Caroline wondered how it was even possible, the girl had stated earlier (Caroline had been trying in vain to get away for the past half hour) that she was studying psychology and yet, somehow, _she_ was the one who felt like the therapist.

"I mean, I realize he has a lot of trust issues and anger issues but it's not really his fault, you know? He's just been hurt so much in his life so it's natural for him to take a lot of time to open up to people. There was this one time he almost kissed me but I guess the gravity of his feelings for me must have scared him because he bolted at the last minute," the girl, Cami, went on and on and Caroline seriously contemplated compelling her to shut the hell up.

The girl's monologue, however, made her think of Klaus, the way he'd been the exact opposite of the guy the bartender was yapping about. The Original had always made his intentions towards her known, never failing to exploit chances to pursue her – she smirked at the recollection of him bargaining with her for a date.

Being the stalking control freak that he was, Caroline was well aware that Klaus had likely known of her arrival to his city since the minute she'd taken a step inside its borders. Moreover, she could swear he'd been there during the competition, at least for some time. At one particular moment a familiar shiver had crawled up her spine, and she'd known. He was there, hidden somewhere in the crowds, observing her.

It probably should've disturbed her but it didn't.

Instead, she was kind of anticipating the moment he would appear right here in this bar, probably claiming what a surprise it was to see her.

She opened her mouth to interrupt the poor girl so as to educate her on recognizing the tells of a guy that was _just not that into you_ because, seriously, _someone_ had to do it as a public service. Then suddenly a movement of air signalized a figure whooshing in her direction and she heard the familiar, "Hello, Caroline."

She spun around on the bar stool to face him.

He looked good, his blonde curls a little longer than when she'd last seen him, his usual Henley clinging to his toned chest and necklaces hanging from his neck. And the most familiar feature of all, the way he seemed to devour her with his eyes, the way he always had.

Someone should enlighten the bartender – this was how one looked when having hots for a woman.

"Klaus," she replied simply.

"It's a delightful surprise to see you in my city, love," came his predicted line and she just rolled her eyes, letting out a, "Please," full of disbelief as he joined her at the bar.

He ordered a bottle of champagne, both of them falling into the pattern of banter-filled flirting. Only this time, Caroline wasn't suppressed by this need to appease anyone, namely her friends.

Engrossed in the conversation, Caroline didn't pay much attention to the bartender, but over time she grew aware of the dirty looks the other woman was shooting her way.

Something clicked in her mind and it became quite obvious to her that earlier, this Cami girl had been talking about Klaus. The realization almost made her laugh out loud.

Old Caroline would most probably had a fit of insecurity in response. That was not her, however. She was quite aware Klaus hadn't meant a celibacy oath when he'd promised to be her last love.

The only grievance she had over his supposed romance (though from painfully listening to the bartender's confessions earlier Caroline deduced there was hardly any romance), was the superficial similarity Cami held to her. Though after talking to her, she knew that was where the comparison ended. And honestly, if Klaus needed someone to hold her spot warm for a while, did he have to go for someone so…bland?

Shooting down Klaus' inquisitive stare at her moment of contemplation, Caroline decided to just enjoy her time in New Orleans and not bother with something of so little… significance.

* * *

And that's how she landed here, in the back office of Rousseau's, sprawled on the desk in front of the Original Hybrid, her dress hauled up around her waist, his mouth on her clit, right on her way to her second orgasm of the night.

"Yes, right there, Klaus…," she murmured breathlessly, arching her back in pleasure as his skillful tongue worked on her pussy, shivers running down her spine as his stubble brushed against her over-sensitive skin, making her clasp her fingers firmer into his sandy curls.

Even two years after their time in the woods, Carline could still remember the taste his raspberry lips left on hers. The weight of his chiseled body on hers and his breath tingling against her skin as he lay on top of her, his head buried in the crook of her neck, both of them too exhausted from round number four to move.

 _Though their exhaustion hadn't continued for long enough to prevent them going for round five. And six_ , Caroline thought, smirking involuntarily.

It's not like she hadn't thought about him for the last two years, even entertained the idea of the forever he had promised her, but she knew that she wasn't anywhere near ready for that yet. But on the other hand… a little _bite_ of it couldn't hurt, especially when their reunion was just so damn _delicious_.

And they hadn't even gotten to the main course yet. And she needed it. Now.

With that thought, Caroline tugged at his hair, motioning his head upwards, only to crash her lips against his, the taste of her own juices and of him melting together as she explored his mouth, sending her into a frenzy.

Klaus settled between her legs, hooking them behind his back, and trailed his lips down her neck, scraping his regular teeth across her jugular, which only set her further on edge, then went down lower.

'I have to say it's wonderful to have you here, Caroline," he mumbled while brushing his mouth against her sternum, then nipping at her collarbone, eliciting a low moan from her. "Of all the gin joints in all the towns, she walks into mine," he recited, mirth audible in his tone while his hands leisurely glided up and down her smooth legs.

"Quoting _Casablanca_ , really, Klaus?" she replied with disbelief, her fingernails sinking into his back with force.

"I do realize you're more of a _Gone with the Wind_ girl. Well, tomorrow is another day," he quipped, then returned to sucking on her neck.

Caroline wasn't even surprised that he knew one of her favourite movies. It was just the thing about Klaus – he had an intensity that scared the hell out of her. Still, she couldn't help but be drawn to him; to what he represented. Then again, the last thing she would allow was for him to know all that. Not _yet_ , anyway.

"So you're Scarlet in this scenario? Hoping to win me back at some point?" she taunted him, rather recklessly, only to regret it a second later when Klaus lifted his predatory gaze to her, shifting his head so close to hers that they were mere inches away.

" _Back_ , Caroline?" he whispered, his voice raspy; lips brushing against her earlobe, the sensation making her burn."When did I have you so now I'd be able to get you back?"

He traced the edge of her ear with his tongue, making her breath hitch, and Caroline found herself at a loss for words.

"I…"

"Our time in the woods, perhaps? You think I'd ever be satisfied with that, sweetheart? If so, stop fooling yourself now," he spoke softly while wrapping himself more firmly against her, slowly pulling down the straps of her dress with his fingertips.

"I crave for my touch to be engraved on your skin, my name reverberating on your vocal cords, your body only ever responding to mine. Only when that happens, I'll say that I've had you. And once I've had you, I won't let you go. Ever."

Her dress pooled around her waist, leaving her chest bare, and Klaus dipped down his head, grazing her stiff nipple with his teeth. Caroline tried to control her reactions but it was in vain – arousal rose in her belly at his words; the feel of his stubble scraping the sensitive skin of her breasts only adding to it.

"Don't fight it, Caroline," his fangs dropped, veins protruding under his eyes as the scent of her arousal surrounded them. He nipped at her collarbone, piercing her skin, drawing a low hiss of pain from her. "Your smell is intoxicating, love. Don't you…"

"I do."

Reaching her limit, Caroline clasped her fingers around his necklaces then pulled him in for a kiss. Her fangs emerged too and she bit on Klaus' lower lip, reveling in the rich metallic taste of his blood and the guttural groan he let out.

She reached for his shirt, fumbling with the buttons, only to rip it off in frustration a moment later. Lowering her mouth, she nipped at his jaw while circling his nipples with her fingertips, the move making him shudder. Skimming down his chest, she focused on his bird tattoo, planting her lips on his chest and then tracing the lines of it with her tongue.

"Sweetheart…" Klaus gasped in response.

"Klaus. You've said your part. Now I'm talking," Caroline shot him down while swiftly unbuckling his belt and pushing down his pants.

She wrapped her hand around his already hard length and flicked her thumb along the tip. Dipping down from the desk, she took as much of him as she could into her mouth, instantly sucking hard as she hollowed out her cheeks and scraped slightly with her human teeth.

"Yes…" the hybrid groaned, tilting back his head, his eyelids heavy from pleasure, as his fingers sank into her blonde tresses.

Caroline twirled her tongue along his cock, one hand gripped tightly around his base while with the other she reached down to her soaked panties and pushed them down then dipped two fingers into her pussy.

She let out a low moan, the sound resonating around his shaft. Klaus' eyes darkened with lust as he focused on the sight of her pleasuring herself.

"Do you know what it does to me, Caroline? Watching you so wanton when I fuck your pretty little mouth? Do you imagine it's my cock pounding into you, not your fingers?"

His words ignited her skin, his heated gaze sending shivers down her spine. She was playing with fire and she wanted to burn. It was like a game with them, testing who would make the other lose control first.

She released her grip on him and straightened, raising her fingers to her mouth and licking off the evidence of her arousal, never shifting her gaze from his eyes, challenging him.

And there it was, he snapped, gripping her hips forcefully as he yanked her back onto the desk then pushed inside her right away, both of them gasping at the contact.

Hiking up her leg, the angle causing her to cry out as he hit just the right spot, he crushed his lips to hers and set a frantic pace, rushing them to the climax. Caroline relished in how their bodies fit together, his shaft buried to the hilt and her chest crushed to his. Both of them so riled up, it didn't take long and soon, she went over the edge, her muscles clenching around Klaus' cock in a powerful orgasm, milking his own release as he groaned a raspy _Caroline_ in her ear when her nails sank into his back, drawing blood.

Their panting echoed across the room as they came down from the high.

Klaus looked at her with a glimmer of hope in his eyes and placed a gentle kiss in the corner of her mouth, then asked, "My place?"

Caroline smiled and nodded in response. Even if his change in demeanor threw her off, she was determined not to show it.

After all, she really should get her fix before the next time.

* * *

The blonde bartender caught them just as they left the office, both messy, Klaus' buttonless shirt hanging loosely on his shoulders, a wide satisfied grin lighting his face.

He paid her no attention and ignored the rest of the bar patrons, none of the regulars courageous enough to comment on the hybrid's walk of shame as he took Caroline's hand and headed to the exit.

Her appearance was no better, with puffy lips and ruffled hair, but she couldn't hold back a smirk at Cami's shocked face as she followed Klaus. As they passed her by, she couldn't help herself, winking at the other blonde as she mouthed the words "Not that into you."

It may have been petty and remnant of her old mean girl ways.

But really, someone should make it clear to the girl already.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! What do you think of this one? Any favourite part or something you didn't like? Share your thoughts with me, please :)**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	4. Ring Of Fire

**AN: Written for the lovely Luiza (coveredinthecolours) for Klaroline Vacay Exchange. Rated T. Canon till Kol's death but Caroline has never lived in Mystic Falls. Mates AU.**

 **Hope you like :)**

 **PS. There were so many great things written/created for this Vacay Exchange! You should totally check it out on Klaroline Vacay tumblr, all the links are there ;)**

 **Summary: _While searching for a solution to bring Kol back from the dead, Klaus meets someone unexpected on his way. Her gaze stays unwavering as she stares back at death and the fire in her sets up a challenge he cannot help but take. And then there's this tricky little thing of them being mates._**

* * *

 _"And I fell into the ring of fire"_

 _(Johnny Cash 'Ring Of Fire')_

* * *

 _[Mystic Falls]_

He was staring at his body for hours. Days. Locked in that damn living room.

Over the centuries, Klaus had studied and perfected a great number of torture methods - invented quite a few of them himself - and yet, burning had never been among his favourites.

The tang of burnt human flesh was quite...unbearable. That acrid, sickly-sweet smell that invaded nostrils and stuck to your tongue, lingering there forever.

Honestly, there were techniques far superior for obliterating someone, for breaking their spirit.

And in that house, it reeked so fucking bad that, had it not been for the fact vampires didn't get sick, he would surely hurtle his guts all over the floor.

Especially given it was his little brother's body that gave off that smell. It was his smell that stuck to Klaus' skin.

Kol, lying dead on that mundane tasteless floor, his body ashen, and his face, for the first time in millennium, blank. No sign of amusement carving his features or a vicious smirk that would curl his lips, eyes vibrant, laughing, flashing with spark.

Memories of thousand years rose in his throat like bile, bitter, burning, bellowing bells that resounded in his head, leaving such...blankness in their wake.

Blankness and then, as if from the ashes that covered Kol's body - rage, flames rising higher and higher, licking at his insides, like sharp teeth gnawing at the festering wound.

Shadows and screaming wraiths, flashing through his mind - Kol's reckless laugh, biting voice, sinister smile.

Slowly, ever so slowly, his eyes shifted away, scanning the room until they landed on photographs perched up on the drawer.

Two young faces, looking right back at him, laughter in their eyes that seemed like a blatant mockery of his loss.

 _Oh, but the rage._

Jeremy Gilbert. Doppelganger.

The Salvatores, those bloody fools.

As soon as this pesky spell, containing him, forcing him to stare at his brother's body, was broken, there would be no lid to put on his fury. No barrier strong enough to hold this all-consuming rage.

Let them carry out this last folly, foolish quest for cures and mindless pursuit of something that probably didn't exist.

They would all be dead soon enough.

With hard taps against the screen, he started calling his siblings, message of Kol's death clipped out in a hollow short syllables. He didn't wait to hear their grief.  
Now was not the time for it. Right now, they needed to get him out of here.

And they did.

With screams and blood, they painted the town red.

* * *

There was no cure. There never had been.

Klaus had never hated to be right more. What good was it, what satisfaction could he drawn from it now, that his brother's death turned out to be completely pointless?

Once they succeeded in getting Kol back, he would take great pleasure in pointing out how wrong his little brother had been about Silas and the cure. A little mockery to train his sarcasm muscle, probably a little limp after his stay on the Other Side.

But for now, they needed to gather all the ingredients for the spell and find a witch strong enough to perform it.

And there was one place they would be sure to find them.

* * *

 _[New Orleans]_

They had arrived with blood still warm on their tongues, the doppelganger's cries of agony still echoing in Klaus' ears, the sweetest little tunes of death. With some persuasion, Marcel had welcomed them in the city (more or less), offering his resources and the local coven of witches at his disposal.

There was a shadow of suspicion flickering in his former protégé's eyes, causing Klaus' lips to stretch in amusement. Marcel was afraid they had come to take what was rightfully theirs.

Good.

But the truth was, Klaus had little to none interest in taking back New Orleans. The city was bursting with life and magic and art and it all surely held its appeal - he could definitely stay here for a little while, even if only for the sake of torturing Marcel with his presence and uncertainty. But what was one mere city for the most powerful being on Earth? Playing a conqueror could prove extremely amusing but in the long run, ruling, policies, diplomacy - it was too much of a hassle when one could dissolve a disagreement with a swift snap of neck or draining a particularly troublesome body of its blood.

Within the first few hours of their stay, they had learnt of Davina and...persuaded Marcel that a young witch would come to no harm while performing a spell for them. And now, the only thing left to find was another source of great power to sacrifice in order to bring Kol back. Doppelganger, dead and scattered around Mystic Falls, was out of the question, same for the Bennett witch, who had managed to flee the massacre and was currently in hiding.

Luckily, under the joint pressure of Rebekah, Elijah and himself, French Quarter witches decided to cave and offer one of their own as a sacrifice, with little to none defiance.

How perfectly convenient.

He was a bit disappointed, to be honest. At least they could have a decency to put more of a fight.

Strolling the alleys of Lafayette Cemetery, he stopped by one of the more opulent tombs, eyeing the witches gathered there. One of them, a middle-aged, brown-haired woman, strode forth to welcome him, an overconfident half-smirk plastered over her mouth.

Bastianna. One of the elders.

Despite the appearances, he could smell her fear, see the muscles straining under her robe, flexing in an attempt to gird her body for escape.

What a fool. His siblings had already set up a perimeter around the cemetery, a dozen of loyal witches and warlocks they had obtained throughout the centuries nullifying the powers of the coven with their joint spell.

There was no escape. And, had they decided to reject his benevolence and betray him, the coven would soon discover their powers didn't work quite like they'd used to.

"Hybrid," she gave him a slight nod.

"Witch," Klaus drawled in response. "Do you have what I came for?"

Another nod.

His brow drew up expectantly. "Well?"

The woman snapped her fingers and two more witches emerged from the mausoleum, a beautiful blonde between them, her hands in shackles. Klaus felt a strange pull, something prickling under his skin, both unsettling and euphoric. His monster roared, begging to come out and play, and he could feel the slowly protruding veins under his eyes, eyes that must have been glowing with gold by now, as he took in her form.

Reigning his features back to normal and into cold indifference, he admired her sun-kissed tresses and the ivory skin, painted with a few little freckles in the most intriguing places.

In the shadow cast by her eyelashes. In the corner of her mouth. On her collarbone.

What a delight it would be to paint those. More so, to track each and every one with the tip of his tongue.

So lovely. _Such a pity she was to die soon_ , a detached thought crossed his mind but as soon as it did, something deep in his body groaned in protest, like a sharp howl of his wolf.

 _No_.

Ignoring the pang of unknown emotion in his gut, Klaus titled his head, boring his eyes into the blonde with unrelenting steady gaze. Something that made most people cower before him, cringe in hopeless fear.

And he revelled in all of it. Puppeteer with his handy little dancers, taking just the steps he needed them to, steps he had predicted – just like this coven of witches.

Only the blonde was clearly refusing to dance, meeting his gaze defiantly, chin jutted forward.

 _Oh_.

How intriguing.

Especially since Klaus couldn't detect any sort of magic within her. And if there was something, it wasn't particularly impressive. This meant, he concluded with anger thrumming in his veins, that the witches thought it appropriate to deceive him.

He lurched forward, pinning the elder witch to the wall by her throat, her painful shriek brushing against his face. The rest of the coven members pulled back, their eyes focused and hands straining to find their power, panic setting in their features as they realized what he had already known - they were defenseless against him.

"Do you take me for a fool, witch?" he seethed, fingers digging deeper into her skin.

"She's young," Bastianna choked out, breaking out the syllables bit by excruciating bit. "Her magic's bound. But sacrificing her will do the trick. Bring back the one you want."

"Bound? And why is that?" Klaus asked with mild interest, taking pleasure in the tinge of deep purple spreading over the face before him.

"She was growing too powerful. It would unbalance the nature."

His eyes flicked towards the blonde in question, finding, with a tad of surprise, that her gaze remained unwavering. As if the blood slowly sipping from the corner of her elder's mouth or her red-stained eyes, dulled by lack of oxygen, didn't bother her at all.

Given the woman was ready to give her away to certain death, maybe it didn't.

Too powerful to let her stay that way - Klaus stifled the lick of curiosity against his mind at that piece of information. Whatever it was, she would do as a sacrifice and that was all that mattered. Even if, in spite of himself, he couldn't help but notice how similar their situations seemed to be. He too, knew very well what it was like to have your true self locked away, trapped under the heavy chains of a spell, incomplete, always yearning.

His wolf growled, craving to cut the distance between, to soothe her with his touch and lick the dried tears off her cheeks. He needed -

 _Not the point_ , Klaus scolded himself internally. Back to business now.

Bastianna slumped to the ground as he released her from the steel grip of his hands and stepped towards his little blonde sacrifice. The closer he got, the more he could feel the subtle thrum of power deep in her bones, stubbornly flowing through the veins, so ready to burst to the surface.

"Witch, unbalancing the nature? How peculiar," he remarked with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"She's not a witch." Came a short response and Klaus' eyes shot towards the girl, cold, assessing. Again, she bravely held his gaze. It was unnerving, really, making him all that more irritable.

"Enough with the puzzles! Tell me everything. Now."

All her hesitation evaporated as she blurted out, "She's a phoenix." Then added after Klaus' incredulous chuckle cut through the cemetery, "A shapeshifter, obviously."

"I thought they were extinct."

"They are. We traced back her lineage when she was born into the coven. She does have ancestors who practiced fire magic but we weren't able to figure out why her abilities decided to show when they did. To show at all."

"And when did it occur exactly?"

"Two years ago."

The world around him stopped, silence, dead silence licking at his eardrums and heart thumping against his chest.

That was when he had broken his curse.

With all the possible implications drowning Klaus' mind, his wolf pushed his steps towards the blonde. Looking at her curiously, he asked, "What's your name, sweetheart?"

A huff. "What do you care? You're gonna kill me anyway."

"Perhaps I could be persuaded otherwise."

Her eyes glimmered and he could swear a flicker of red burned in there, the golden tresses jouncing as she shook her head, clearly peeved.

She was stunning.

"Look, buddy. One, you don't strike me as someone who can be convinced not to do something they're clearly set on doing. Two, I've had a crappy day as it is, you know, being sold out by my own coven and all, so excuse me while I don't rush to entertain you on my deathbed."

A delighted smirk began to curl his lips as she rambled, his wolf wanting to bark back, to play. His eyes scoured the gathering, the witches' frail bodies trembling, helpless now with their power dulled, not one of them willing to meet his stare.

Pathetic.

Then he focused back on _her_ , sharp tongue and blazing eyes, bound, broken but unbent as she stared into her death's eyes.

That was interesting. Highly so.

"It appears, ladies, that there's been a change of plans," he sang cheerfully before plunging his hand into the chest of the nearest witch.

* * *

Her name was Caroline.

He liked how it felt on his tongue.

The French Quarter witches did well as a sacrifice for Kol - he'd turned back to his annoying self in no time, making Klaus regret that they had brought him back so swiftly. He could do without his pest of a brother for a decade of two.

Caroline was back to her true self as well, it seemed. As soon as the witches had been killed, the spell holding her had broken too.

It had been spectacular. _She_ had been spectacular, Klaus mused, thinking back to moments just after the ritual.

With a loud crack, her back arched, bones groaning as wings emerged, attached to her shoulder blades. Fiery, with gold and blood red melting together, shimmering with the glow like nothing out of this world. Fire burned in her eyes, so bright, so high and then talons grew from her nails and her features turned into unearthly mask of hunger and rage.

Klaus had never seen anything so exquisite.

And that pull he had felt the first time he'd seen her, it was there, stronger than ever, burning as violently as that flame caressing her eyes. Seeing her hurt, her screams of pain clawing at his ears, it scorched him so deep, the need to close the distance between them, hold her in his arms and shield her - ravenous.

It had taken everything he had to keep his wolf away.

And deep down, beneath the layers of all the fears he would never admit he had, Klaus knew what it meant.

She was his mate.

 _Fuck._

* * *

"Once more." A voice jolly to a point of being _freaking irritating_ sang in her ear as she tried and failed to summon fire for the hundredth time.

Caroline had no idea why Kol Mikaelson, the Original vampire, had taken it upon himself to train her. Judging by the mischievous glint flashing in his eyes anytime he mentioned their sessions around Klaus, it was only partially because of his proclaimed love of magic and more due to enjoyment he drew from pissing off his older brother.

Why hadn't she left yet? That was one loaded question and Caroline was determined to put off answering it as long as possible. Staying with Originals had definitely been one hell of a challenge, with Rebekah and her temper-tantrums, Elijah's suspicious gaze following her every move and Kol's incessant taunts.

But there was something about this family. This fierce determination with which they hunted down their enemies, that icy resolve gleaming in their eyes as they watched their brother being brought back to life - gathered around the ritual site like wolves, adamant in making certain it happened. They could've spent most of their time together on petty bickering and death threats but loyalty like this? It was carved in bones.

And it was a sentiment she had always lacked, had never been offered.

Then there was _Klaus_.

Klaus, whose gaze caressed her skin like a soft flame of a candle. Steel, sizzling hot, flowed through her veins as her pulse raced, the feeling of awareness surging though her body on a violent tide whenever he was near.

Yes, Klaus might have been the reason she had, in spite of all common sense, agreed to staying with them for a while.

Since her powers had manifested two years back, there was always this emptiness, longing within her that had nothing to do with her magic being bound. Because now that her monster was technically free, this feeling was still lingering there, deep in her bones, even if partially satiated by the pull of her powers.

Only subsiding when the hybrid was close by.

In the choice between fleeing and investigating further, her need for control had won over any apprehension towards Klaus.

At least for now.

"Focus, little one." Again, that voice, like a bug buzzing in her ear.

"I'm trying," she rasped, a faint twinge of power grazing at her fingertips.

With a quirk of his brow, Kol baited, "Really? And here I was thinking you were busy daydreaming about my brother."

Her only response was a huff, blonde curls springing with the shake of her head. Something tickled under her shoulder blades, fleeting as it was.

"You do have a peculiar taste in men, darling. Nik did intend to kill you, after all."

Silence. And then, a harsh breath.

"Perhaps you could put everyone out of their misery and just shag him already? The sexual tension is getting a tad uncomfortable even for me," he goaded more and more.

Caroline just wanted him to stop talking and planting those ideas in her head. Her imagination could be quite creative all on its own. As if of their own accord, images of her and Klaus crawled into her mind, heat spreading over her body and coiling down in her stomach. She could feel the wings pushing against her back and fire magic rolling off her in waves but...

Using magic was a lot like stretching muscles. And she hadn't weaved hers in two years and even then, it had been cut short, brief - not to the full extent of her abilities.

She had grown fucking rusty.

Unsurprisingly, Kol had kept talking.

"Such a shame, really. A tasty little thing like you? I'd love a little bite too, you know?"

Something inside her just snapped. A fuse lit and she felt a low thrum of power breathing under her skin, whispering in her ears. Caroline listened to its voice, to the fury, pain and frustration of being caged for so long, controlled and repressed.

Kol's scream cut through the room as his back smashed into the wall. For a moment, she was able to hold him with the grip of her fire - it licked at his body, not hot enough to burn. Faster than she cared to admit, the effort took its toll on her, making her body weaken and her magic retreat.

Her wings didn't show.

Slowly, Kol slumped to the floor, the widest self-pleased grin stretching his face. "Finally, darling. I was getting a tad bored."

"You're such an ass," Caroline scoffed at his antics but it was light-hearted, with a subtle feeling of contentment settling over her.

And then she laughed.

* * *

He was waiting in her bedroom.

Caroline was aware of his presence as soon as she pulled on the doorknob, a flame inside of her lifting its head, its blazing roar reverberating in her veins. Sprawled gracefully on her bed, Klaus fixed that wild, intense stare of his on her as soon as she crossed the threshold. That strange sensation came over her again, the one pawing at her since their first meeting. Both peace and a tide coming over her, a rush to feel, to touch, to soar.

What would it be like, to paint his skin with the fire in her fingertips?

Stifling her body's reaction to him, she bristled instead, "Sure, make yourself at home."

That annoying smirk appeared on his stupidly handsome face. "This is my home, love," he stretched out the vowels around the words, his voice lilting and sipping sweetly, like a soft caress to her eardrums.

 _Stop this foolishness, Caroline_ , she scolded herself internally.

"What are you doing here?"

At the question, Klaus turned serious, his expression almost vulnerable. "You were...You were laughing. Happy. I needed to know why. What did my brother do to make you feel like that?"

"That's none of your business, really," she gulped, shivers crawling down her spine because of his words. And because of the way he followed her every move, seemed to register each hitch of breath and crease of skin, his head tilted and tongue brushing past those raspberry lips.

"You will soon find, _Caroline_ , that there is not one single thing about you that does not concern me."

"Funny thing to say for a guy who almost had me killed the first time he saw me."

Springing to his feet, he flashed towards her in the blink of an eye. His body pressed against her and pushed, and pushed till her back was against the nearest wall and his muscled chest crushed against her breasts.

She allowed it to happen. _Nothing_ in her protested at the touch. No, her body hummed, molding itself to fit flush against his form. Her wings, trapped under this human flesh, shivered like leaves on the wind, pulling hard, with muscles groaning as they stretched to emerge from her shoulder blades.

"But that _almost_ makes all the difference, love. Do you have the faintest idea how many times in my millennium-long existence I've changed my mind? I assure you, it was of scarce occurrence."

The air between them prickled with tension, and she sensed little sparks of electricity fill the room, nipping at her magic, calling to her. Still, she stayed silent, questions dying in her dry throat before she could voice them.

His eyes flashed gold before he dipped his head, whispering, "Ask away, Caroline. You know you want to."

"Why _didn't_ you kill me?" A breath against his skin.

"Those witches were just so bloody irritating, don't you think? Call it my benevolence to the city of New Orleans."

"You said I could ask away. So frigging answer," she spat, her tone stern.

A glint of delight crossed his face and Caroline felt it caress her nerve endings as his curious gaze wandered over her, calculating and assessing. "No one has ever dared to speak to me like that. Apart from my siblings, of course. Those disrespectful pests."

"Probably why your ego can't fit in any room," she said, rolling her eyes. "Will you answer me or not?"

She watched a lump moving down his throat as he swallowed, his lashes casting a shadow on his cheeks when he screwed up his eyes. "It came dangerously close to that," he finally uttered. "But in the end, I knew I wouldn't go through with it."

"Why?" Her nose skimmed along his chin, the scruff tickling her skin as she inhaled his rich masculine scent. Forest and musk and burnt wood. She just couldn't help herself - it was intoxicating.

Leaning his head back a few inches, Klaus met her gaze, words rolling off his tongue like a song, "Can't you feel it, love? That pull between us?" His fingers swept into her hair, nails grazing her scalp, leaving goosebumps in their wake. And his honey voice chanted in her ear, warmth of his lips spreading everywhere, "Because I can. I feel your skin thrum, longing to touch mine when we're near. That fire that should burn so bright crackling desperately, ripping you apart to break free, to lick at me and sheathe me in its blaze."

"No," she balked, flinching away, away from that distracting touch.

Oh, how disturbingly familiar it felt.

But Klaus wouldn't let go. Gently, he drew near again, gripping her chin when she averted his gaze. "It kills my wolf to see you like this. Straining to break free. I've been stuck like this for a thousand years. Believe me, Caroline, when I say I will do everything in my power to help you. Even if it takes Kol training you and making you laugh."

"It's impossible. It cannot be."

He smiled wryly, "It's not and it can. Your magic revealed itself the day I broke my curse. Oh yes, I checked. The day my wolf ran free again, ready to be, to live." She closed her eyes as his thumb circled her lips, her breathing laboured. "You know it's true, sweetheart, just as this glorious creature under your skin knows it. You feel it in your bones." Softness of his lips rested on her eyelids, coaxing them to open again.

They did. And now their eyes were not an inch away.

"You're my mate."

She didn't hear the words leave his mouth.

It was as if his whisper purred among the flames flickering at her very soul.

* * *

Three weeks had passed and to her utter frustration, Caroline still wasn't able to shift. Partially, she blamed it on Klaus. What a distraction he had turned out to be. He would give her space if she needed it, but never nearly enough so that she could forget his existence or the whole "mate" ordeal.

She would spend most of her time with Kol, practicing her magic, the progress she made too slow to her liking. Occasionally, Rebekah would join them, her alert gaze registering every look exchanged between her and Kol and her mouth asking the nosiest questions regarding her favourite brother.

Caroline came to the conclusion that was the Original's way of showing she'd kind of warmed up to her.

Then there were hours she spent with Klaus, scarce as they were. One evening, she had stumbled upon him in the library, all pensive and nursing a drink. Caroline had no idea how it'd happened but while she was browsing for a book to read, they started talking. First of literature, then of her life in Nola - how she had never been anywhere else. But with his melodic voice, Klaus painted a mirage of images before her, of places he had seen, art he loved, people he'd met.

And it was the same man who had annihilated a coven of witches in front of her but at the same time, she knew he was something more and something else. Deep down, that completely insane thought crawled in her mind. Insane and yet somehow she knew instinctively it was true - that just as Klaus had done everything to save his brother, he would go to hell and back for _her_. It was a truth carved by every touch of his skin against hers and spoken by every caress of his gaze.

They would meet in library almost every evening since that night. Talking well into dawn sometimes. And as much as Klaus liked recounting his experiences, he wanted to know about her. Her hopes, her dreams, everything she wanted in life.

 _That was such a line_.

But he listened, his expression starved, as she cautiously revealed bits and pieces of herself here and there.

On the night of full moon, he didn't show up. Caroline went to bed, reluctant to admit even to herself that she was disappointed. But then, in the middle of the night, something scratched at her door and a huge wolf leapt into her bedroom once she opened it.

She knew it was Klaus the second those crystal blue eyes met hers, looking at her pleadingly.

He played dirty, alright.

Especially when he began howling miserably, nudging her leg with his head until she petted him and scratched that one place behind his ears. When she finally went back to bed, he folded his body into a giant ball of fur by her side, watching her till she fell asleep.

Caroline had never slept better, the wolf's quiet purrs like a lullaby.

To her surprise, he was gone in the morning. Only a faint memory of his naked body pressed to hers, with a burning sensation left anywhere they touched.

Things grew even more awkward and tense between them after that. So tense, these days she felt as if she was ready to combust. Klaus sensed it too, his wolf becoming more and more agitated, snappy as she rambled through the mansion restless, magic churning at her insides. Unable to touch anything or anyone because her accumulated power scorched everything to ash.

"Finally done avoiding me, sweetheart?" His drawl caught her off guard as she was aimlessly wandering around the library.

Words got stuck in her throat. Truth was she _had_ been avoiding him since the full moon. "I needed time to think," she croaked eventually.

"And you sure as hell took it," he grumbled.

It made her angry. Energy surged through her. "Look, I just don't like not being given a choice! Is it really that hard to understand?!"

Klaus was by her side in a second. "A choice? You think I liked the thought of having a mate? Of being so vulnerable, so exposed to another being?! I had your life in my grasp but you're still here. That was my choice," he rasped crisply, space between them simmering with violent force.

Caroline couldn't look away even if she wanted to, the golden specks flaring in his eyes and the heat emanated by his body pulling her in.

"You've come to live in this house of your own volition. You've accepted the invitation and stayed. That was _your_ choice, Caroline. It will always be your choice, whether you'll accept our bond or not," he went on.

It was as if an enormous weight lifted off her shoulders. Klaus never forced anything on her. In fact, it was him who freed her of the shackles those witches had put on her. Who had betrayed her as soon as she turned out to be different from them. And maybe, in her anguish and a constant swirl of magic she still couldn't control, she wasn't quite able to see it clearly.

It was her choice. Nobody made her stay here, with him. Maybe lack of that understanding was what was holding her monster back.

But now, staring at his feral features, the wolf in his eyes and the veins protruding under them, Caroline's phoenix cried out, fire seething in her bloodstream. He was just like her, unique, one of the kind in this world and together, they could melt in a symphony of fire and crimson of blood.

They were the same. There was a home in the gold of his irises and it was calling to her.

And she was something else, something darker and untamed, yet trapped in this human shell, her magic subdued for so long.

 _Enough._

Klaus' breath hitched when she lunged forward, slanting her mouth over his in a searing kiss.

Literally searing.

Their lips burned, his hand on the nape of her neck and the other one trailing up and down her spine, as if to coax her wings out.

Up and down, up and down, up and down.

They got lost in the kiss, tip of her tongue tracing the steel sharp edges of his double fangs, tearing a hoarse moan from him as droplets of her blood trickled down his throat. Her fingertips tingled with flame as she sank them into his dirty blond curls, tugging, scraping, pulling. Her body roiled with magic and the heat burnt down their clothes, their bare flesh fusing together.

And she could feel him _everywhere_.

The sensuous invitation of his hands lured out the soft fiery feathers and within seconds, her wings sprang free, surrounding them like a ring of fire. Undeterred, Klaus delved his fingers into them, making her shudder, the unadulterated pleasure of the caress fueling her strength even more.

Now, Caroline was unleashed, freed to the world, energy rippling from her in powerful, chaotic waves. She was a lick of flame against his skin and a crack of fire in his ears.

And when she set her gaze back on Klaus, breath caught in her lungs at the look of unyielding admiration and hunger and lust she saw there. Next moment, he was devouring her with his lips again and she could hear the blood rushing through his veins.

 _Mine,_ it sang. Mine.

She could have fled right then and there and perhaps, weeks ago, she would have.

But it was the truth. She was his as he was hers and everything else would unravel itself as they went from here.

Together.

His grip around her tightened, fingers dancing at the base of her wings, making her whimper into his mouth.

Klaus, Klaus, _Klaus_.

It tasted so well, so right on her tongue and her monster hollered, craving to hear the same.

He enveloped her completely, in a tight possessive grip and she could pick up the low hum of his body in her own.

Caroline, Caroline, _Caroline_.

Like a chorus of a song that had always been on his lips.

 _Klaus and Caroline. Caroline and Klaus._

Like a fire that would never burn out.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading :) So...what did you think of this one? Did you like Caroline as phoenix/shapeshifter? Klaus' reaction to Kol's death? Because honestly, the way he reacted in canon (aka, did nothing to Elena and Jeremy)? That was one of the biggest OOC moments for Klaus, at least in my opinion. Please share yours with me :)**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	5. Harder To Ignore

**AN: Thank you for all your wonderful reviews (and favs and follows)! You guys are awesome :) This is the last of my Klarodrabblequest drabbles (so far!) and also the last one of the "jealous Cami" variety.**

 **Established Klaroline in the future. Hayley is present in NOLA but the unfortunate incident of 4x16 did NOT happen, so no baby. Also, anti-Cami and anti-Hayley.** **NSFW.**

 **Based on prompt:  
**

 _ **"Can you do jealous Cami again and she accidentally walks in on Klaus and Caroline, Caroline sees and purposely fucks him harder so that he moans out her name, also Hayley being put in her place would be appreciated. Basically do all smut with Klaroline doing voyeurism?"**_

* * *

Caroline strutted into the mansion purposefully, dropping her suitcase just behind the threshold - the move perhaps unusually careless for her, but she was a woman on a mission.

She had been in Aydlett, North Carolina for a week, visiting the now-71 year old Liz Forbes who, despite her age, was still an incredibly lively woman. Caroline blessed the day her mom had made the decision to leave Mystic Falls and take up a job from a town in another state. Now she could enjoy her retirement and _supernatural drama-free_ life, without worrying about whatever troubles the Salvatore brothers would cook up weekly.

Since her mother still pretty much detested Klaus - even though she acknowledged and appreciated that he had always seemed to put her only daughter first - it'd been decided that he wouldn't intrude on their family time together.

Right now, having come back from her trip, Caroline really needed to get her fill of a certain Original hybrid, though. Of course, during the course of the week, they had sexted and even had a few rounds of phone sex - but it wasn't nearly enough. Not to mention, she was still horrified after almost being caught halfway to orgasm by her mother.

Using her vampire hearing, Caroline located Klaus and headed in the direction of his office. It was midday so the mansion was relatively empty, with Elijah usually out and about extinguishing the latest fire; Kol and Rebekah probably cheerfully adding to the trouble. Which was fortunate, seeing as Caroline was really frustrated and for her, frustrated equaled _loud_.

Turning the corner, she sighed impatiently at the sight of Hayley clearly on her way from Klaus' office. She could only assume the hybrid was here because of the latest bayou debacle and although she hadn't heard any screams after entering the house, the girl still looked as if she had been driven into the wall.

 _Well, Klaus would do that to you._

"Hayley," she nodded in a barely-there acknowledgment.

"Caroline," the girl replied, the ever-present pout plastered on her face. "Have you been away or something? Can't say you've been missed."

Caroline stopped in her tracks, groaning exasperatedly. While she was on a tight schedule to get laid, she also knew she wouldn't be able to have sex in peace with the knowledge stuck in her mind that she had let Hayley talk to her that way.

"Really? Then again, it's no surprise _you_ haven't noticed my absence, you must have been busy with your latest Bayou failure," she retorted, raising her eyebrow mockingly.

"That was not my fault!" came Hayley's high-pitched shriek in response.

"I've heard otherwise."

"Well, Klaus disagrees. He wouldn't have made me Queen of the werewolf faction if I wasn't competent, right?"

"Please, what kind of queen are you? You can't even make your own people listen to you. The only thing you're competent of doing is being Klaus' pawn, you're just too arrogant to realize that, " Caroline scoffed.

Satisfied, she turned on her heel and left a wordless Hayley behind.

* * *

Finally walking into Klaus' office, Caroline huffed in annoyance when she saw him busy talking on the phone. He was hunched over the desk, running his hand over his hair in frustration.

"No, Camille, don't come over," he said, his tone exasperated. "I don't need bloody therapy because of some werewolf trouble." Looking up, his eyes gleamed with joy upon seeing Caroline, who was standing on the other side of his desk, glaring at him expectantly. "I have to go now. No, I really… Camille… I… cannot… you… breaking… up…" he muttered into the phone, making little rustling noises in between words and then hung up.

"Wouldn't hang up, huh? Nice trick, by the way. Though I'm pretty sure I taught you that one," Caroline quipped, sauntering over to Klaus' chair and plopping onto his lap unceremoniously, slinging her arms around his neck.

"And I'm grateful for it daily, sweetheart. I just don't know how to deal with her anymore. You won't let me compel her," he said, nuzzling his nose into Caroline's wavy hair and breathing in.

"Out of the question," she remarked cheerfully, placing a quick kiss on his raspberry lips.

The hybrid sighed in resignation, very well aware of how Caroline felt about compulsion. Using it for a good reason, in self-defence or to make some pesky annoying human matters go away was fair game for her, but actually taking away someone's life choices was unacceptable. He supposed the vampire therapist would have to figure it out on her own and leave town, otherwise something would have to be done about her - she had been really testing his patience these last few years.

Camille's turning had been most unfortunate just as it'd been undesirable. It happened almost two decades ago, the girl was killed in the crossfire between Marcel, Klaus, and a very petty coven of witches. Usually, Klaus would be wary of the dangers looming over the bartender, who was at that time an important figure in the human faction; however, Caroline had chosen that exact week to show up at his doorstep and demanded he live up to his promise.

Truth be told, he might have as well slept through Cami's murder.

Had something like that happened to Caroline, Klaus would never have forgiven himself. However, in the instance of the blonde bartender, his compassion was sorely limited as he had warned Camille multiple times, telling her to leave New Orleans and cut ties with his family and Marcel.

From Caroline's perspective, while Camille had continued to be highly annoying in her clinginess and endless crush, over time she had felt secure enough in their relationship to ignore it and not succumb to jealousy. And really, seeing the wannabe-therapist attempting to excuse every single misdeed Klaus would commit was strangely entertaining.

Soothingly sliding his hands up and down her arms, he asked, "Onto more mannered subjects – how was your visit?"

"Lonely," Caroline cooed, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Oh, really? So this is how it is, love? You didn't rush here because you missed me, you just want to take advantage of my body," Klaus mused, feigning offense.

"Like I would be taking advantage, please," Caroline scoffed, spinning the chair so the backrest was against the desk and she was facing the door.

Resting her hands on the armrests, she straddled him, wiggling playfully on his lap.

"Caroline," he hissed through his teeth and she smirked, feeling his already-growing erection against her pelvis.

"I want you," she whispered and his eyes darkened with lust, fingers digging into her hips.

Pulling her shirt over her head and discarding it carelessly, she caught his hands and placed them on her breasts, clad in a low-cut lacy bra.

"So bossy."

Leaning forward, he adorned her cleavage with butterfly kisses, nipping at the skin of her collarbone and flicking her nipples with his thumbs through the fabric of her bra. Caroline mewled softly at the feel of the lace scratching against the sensitive buds, her hands dipping down and unzipping his pants. She curled her fingers around his shaft, Klaus grunting against her skin when she squeezed him slightly, dragging her hand up and down.

At that, he pushed down her bra and closed his hot mouth around her nipple, pinching the other between his fingers. He alternated, biting and sucking, until she was a quivering mess, tension building up in her stomach.

"Klaus," she let out a strangled moan, her hands moving up to discard his henley and hips bucking against his thighs.

"Yes, love?" he taunted, pulling up her skirt and exposing her thong, soaked with her arousal.

Caroline fixed her gaze on his, eyes burning with desire. "You remember how hot our phone calls were? They weren't nearly enough. I would imagine your hands on me, your fingers digging into my thighs as your tongue latched onto my wet pussy. I was dripping for you and you weren't there to touch me."

"I'm here now."

His fingers danced teasingly around the hem of her panties, his other hand slipping to the apex of her thighs, just like she had imagined.

She raised her hips a little, allowing him entrance, and he pulled aside her underwear, fingers sinking into her slick heat. Caroline whimpered and closed her eyes in bliss as he curled them inside her pussy, hitting that particular sweet spot that would always drive her crazy.

Moving her hands along his chiseled chest, his muscles flexing under her touch, she rode his fingers, chasing her high. Klaus flicked his thumb against her throbbing clit and she gasped loudly, opening her eyes. Her breath caught when she saw the figure lingering in the darkness of the hall through the open door.

Camille.

The girl looked shocked, standing frozen in place and staring with her eyes wide open at her. A wicked thought suddenly sprang to Caroline's mind and on impulse she decided to follow through.

Arousal pooling in her stomach, she reached for Klaus' hard length and placed him at her entrance. She moved her hips teasingly, the tip of his cock rubbing against her soaking slit, the delicious friction making her shiver. His hips jerked in response and he let out a low grunt.

Thinking of the audience they had, Caroline felt a flame of possessiveness over Klaus rise within her, the fact they were being watched adding spice to the act. She impaled herself onto him with force, her tight muscles squeezing his cock. He moaned and Caroline knew she needed more, she needed it louder. Steadying herself with hands clasped on his shoulders, she looked at Camille, who, for some unknown reason, was still there as if unable to move. That delectable feeling of being _oh-so-full_ made her sigh in satisfaction and then she slowly raised herself up, only to sink down onto him again, _hard_.

"Love," he let out and she moved once more, this time clenching her walls around him, tilting back her head in pleasure, leaving her breasts to his sight.

Her core throbbed when she heard a weak sigh coming from the hall and Klaus' grip on her hips tightened. Returning her attention to him, it took one look for something to become very clear.

Klaus knew Cami was there. Of course he did.

His eyes were transfixed on her, mischievous and daring, and Caroline was not one to deny a challenge.

She changed the angle, swirling her hips, and smirked victoriously as Klaus' jaw tensed. The pace of their moves quickened, Caroline writhing on his lap restlessly, her breasts bouncing as she rose and fell on his throbbing cock.

At first she was deliberately loud but then they both got lost in the rhythm, panting and moaning. Klaus circled her nipple with his tongue and she pulled him to her, craving to feel him close, his head buried in her chest.

The week of coiled up tension taking its toll, soon they were both on the verge of orgasm, moving in a hot embrace. Then, it took one deep thrust and she was shuddering with pleasure, her pussy squeezing him tightly, tipping Klaus over the edge as he came with her name on his lips, a raw moan deep from his throat.

Between her heavy pants and Klaus' laboured breath against her skin, Caroline heard a whoosh of air.

When she finally came round and opened her eyes, the vampire bartender wasn't there anymore.

"I do love when you're naughty, Caroline. Do you think she took the hint?" Klaus murmured, his moving lips tickling her cleavage.

"After twenty years, she'd better."

* * *

 **As always, thank you for reading :) So this was actually my first time writing something like this (aka voyeurism) and I'd love to hear your comments about it. Do you think it worked or not? Please share your opinion with me!**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	6. A Sneaky Date () She Bit The Fruit

**AN: Just two mini drabbles today :) The first one is a short fluffy canon piece for Tay aka** **candicemorgan** **. Set after 4x06. Caroline and Tyler broke up for real here.**

 **Hope you like ;)**

" _ **I got so emotional during that movie that I didn't notice I was gripping your hand I'm so sorry."**_

* * *

When Caroline had said she would need at least three seats between them, she probably hadn't predicted he would invite himself to her house to watch said movies.

Well, that certainly wasn't his fault, was it? Klaus smirked, stepping over the threshold of Forbes' house, a stack of DVD's in his hand.

 _Oh yes, he came prepared._

The blonde fussed over the change of plans for a while, her brows adorably furrowed. Finally, her inbred hospitality won over and she fixed him a drink, then left for a few minutes to change.

Unneeded breath caught in his throat when he saw her descend the stairs. She had looked ravishing in her date outfit, black skinny jeans that hugged the curve of her arse and showed off her shapely long legs, frilly peach top that brought out her porcelain skin. But now - in loose shorts and a soft tank top, her curls loose and bouncing - Caroline was just as gorgeous.

He helped her out with preparing the snacks, revelling in the subtle intimacy of the act, two people puttering around the kitchen, chatting, laughing.

Back in the living room, she still put as much distance between them as she could, nestling herself on the exact opposite side of couch.

But he had a plan for that too.

With the help of his hybrids, Klaus had carried out a little investigation regarding Caroline's cinematic tastes.

And now, having decided to go for the kill (not literally) from the get go, he inserted _Gone With The Wind_ DVD into the player.

"Of course you chose the longest movie possible," Caroline shot a dirty look his way, shaking her head.

"I happen to know it's one of your favourites, love. I merely aim to please," he replied innocently (as innocently as he could) and observed in delight as the blonde fought the smile curling her glorious lips.

They watched in silence for a while, until he threw an off-hand comment about a detail or two about the war tactics during Civil War. Caroline's eyes lit up, as if she just realized now he had lived through that period. It seemed couldn't help herself as she peppered him with questions, elbow perched on the headrest while her eyes held his, twinkle of interest in her eyes.

 _Hook, line and sinker._

When the time for the next movie came, Caroline was sitting in the middle of the couch, only a feet or two of distance between them now.

Time for _The Notebook._

Even if the movie was a pure torture for him to watch, all 5 times Rebekah had made them sit through it, Klaus knew his devotion would pay off.

It did.

Throughout the romantic entanglements of Allie and Noah, his gaze was focused on Caroline. The way a corner of her mouth would lift up a bit in amusement or her nose scrunch in distaste. Her pearly laugh tickling his skin and his fingertips itching to brush off her tears.

Klaus almost forgot about his plan when suddenly, he felt her soft body nuzzle into his side, shivers trailing down his spine at the contact.

"But it's just so sad," Caroline wept, "and so beautiful. He remembered for both of them…and then they died to-, to-, together." She buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Running his fingers through her curls soothingly, he dipped his head a little, breathing in the honey vanilla scent of her hair. A small smile emerged on his face when she purred quietly at his caress, her tears slightly soaking his shirt.

"Don't think I don't know what you did here, Klaus." A mumble reverberated against his chest. Caroline looked up and glared at him, "I am so choosing the movies next time."

He didn't say anything, just smiled wider.

 _Well, as long as there was next time…_

* * *

 **AN: Inspired by "Lumina" by** ** **Joan Osborne** (and the quote below is from this song).**

 **Slightly nsfw.**

* * *

 _"Eve had to ask, Eve had to ask  
What is wrong with this?  
Here is the place, now is the time  
Let's invent the kiss." _

The suitcase feels so light in her hand, even though her clothes are practically crawling out of it on their own.

Her breath hitches as her fingertip hits the bell, its sound reverberating deep in her chest with words echoing against the membrane of her lungs;

 _It's okay, it's okay, it's okay._

Her senses are on alert, hearing focused on locating him inside the mansion.

Soft strokes of brush against the canvass caress her earlobes just like his fingers always paint bone-deep touches on her skin.

They whisper;

 _It's right, it's right, it's right._

 _It's right to want him._

 _It's not wrong._

Her knuckles tap against the door impatiently and the sound of him painting stops, replaced by the gust of wind as he rushes downstairs.

And in those short seconds, she's back in Mystic Falls, waltzing in that night blue gown, dimples involuntarily blinding her to distraction.

She's back against his chest, rich warm blood flooding her throat as she drinks in huge greedy gulps.

In Italy, soles of her feet digging into the hot sand as he fills her deep and hard.

In France, fleeting flicks of skin against skin and their fingers _almost_ touch while they stroll Parisian alleys side by side.

In Brasil, ocean breeze grazing her sweat covered body as they lounge naked on the terrace, his skillful tongue licking promises along her neck.

Just like she flickered her tongue over the fruit but never really bit into it.

The door opens.

"Hello, Caroline," he rasps, in that lilting melody of his and she closes her eyes for a second, tongue sweeping over her lips as if his greeting rested there and she wanted to taste it.

Oh, she craves to taste it.

"Klaus." A whisper, and then, her mouth slant over his, hungry and seeking and they stagger back.

She's splayed against the door, hand fisting in those sandy blond curls and their bodies are pressed flush against each other, molded as close as possible with their clothes still on.

Maybe for the very first time, Caroline notes all the undertones of his taste, spicy and hot and bittersweet. Klaus pulls to get a better angle and the kiss grows deeper, lips dancing and teeth clashing and there's his hand burning a path down her spine and she's out of breath she doesn't really need and her fingers tremble over his belt buckle.

Her other hand rests on Klaus' cheek and she can feel the dimple forming under it because as their kiss goes on, somehow he smiles while his crimson lips carve their joy in her skin.

 _You're here, you're here, you're here._

And it feels so right.

They shed only what's necessary, never ceasing to touch, to brush, to graze and when he finally thrusts deep into her wet quivering flesh, their mouths give out one moan.

Caroline cannot stop herself - she doesn't _want_ to - and so she bites, first slow and tender, only to _sink_ herself hard, with her fangs coated in his blood as it sips gloriously into her waiting mouth.

And it tastes so right.

Their eyes meet, feral dark gaze that churns in her abdomen fixed on her as Klaus fills her to the hilt.

She comes just when his tongue gathers the blood that runs down her chin.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and all your support, guys :) What do you think of my take of Klaroline's canon date? What about the second mini drabble? Something you liked or didn't like? Tell me your thoughts, please ;)**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	7. Future Canon Things

**AN: Thank you for al your support, it really means so much to me and motivates the hell out of me :) You're great, guys! Here we have some mini drabbles I wrote for my first tumblr b-day, I titled them "Future Canon Things" as they all revolve around my headcanons regarding Klaroline's future relationship. All can be read as from the same universe, apart from the last one which is a season 5 AU.**

 **Also, the last two drabbles are NSFW.**

 **Hope you like :)**

* * *

 _" **It's not like I go looking for trouble. It just sort of finds me."**_

Klaus' eyes grew wide when he opened the door to the sight of Caroline, her hair disheveled and clothes torn, carrying four felines that were mewing hopelessly.

Questions were on the tip of his tongue but he held back at her signature _do-not-mess-with-me_ look.

"Do you plan on helping me out at some point or will you be just standing there?" Caroline bit out, placing two of the cats in Klaus' arms as he stayed in place, stunned.

The contact of the fluffy fur against his skin seemed to creak the hybrid of his reverie because he drawled in response, "I'd appreciate a little explanation, love."

"Well, I'd appreciate if I could go out with my friends and once, just _once_ , spend a nice peaceful evening instead of fighting with half of NOLA but apparently we can't always get what we want."

His stance turned rigid and eyes lit up with gold at her words. "Who attacked you?" he growled.

"Calm your dimples, Klaus," Caroline rolled her eyes. "Not me. Them," she motioned towards the kittens in their arms. "Well, I was attacked too but only after I stepped in saving their sorry asses."

"You mean..." A flash of understanding crossed his face as one of the animals started clawing at the fabric of his Henley. He gripped it by the nape and lifted up, staring at it half-bewildered, half-amused.

Nodding, the blonde mused, "Yep. You know Kol, he thinks he's charming but he cannot help but annoy the witches. The rest of them were collateral damage, I guess."

"But...kittens?" Klaus scrunched up his nose, disgusted.

Caroline just shrugged. "I think the one with beautiful dark eyes and these ridiculously white teeth is Marcel. Kol is the one that tried to scratch you, Enzo's black with white paws and collar and Lucien has the puffiest tail and these strange eyebrows...Do kittens even have eyebrows?"

Klaus just raised his own eyebrows at her, making it obvious the topic was not worthy of his consideration. "And what happened to _you_?" he asked instead, voice laced with concern.

Sighing, she strutted to he couch, resting two balls of fur (Enzo and Lucien, according to her guesses) in her lap. Klaus couldn't help but glower at them when they purred and preened under the blonde's touch.

He was the only one Caroline should pet like this.

"Seriously, Klaus?" Her tone told him she was unimpressed by his jealous glare. "Look, when the witches cast their spell, I decided to get them out of there but believe it or not, juggling four kitten is not that easy. And then some werewolves showed up and you can probably guess felines slash vampires are not their favourite so yeah, a little brawl might've happened..."

His eyes swept over her body carefully, looking for a signs of a bite. Finding none, he sat beside Caroline, burying his nose into her hair. "I'm glad you're fine, love," he whispered, kissing her temple. "It's a third time something like this happens, you know."

"Look, it's not like I go looking for trouble. It just sort of finds me."

"Especially with those pests around you," Klaus groused.

"Okay, enough with the brooding, we have tons to prepare, you know? You better hope we have some kitten litter and a box in the house."

They didn't.

* * *

 _" **You're ticklish."**_

Sharing an eternity with someone is…peculiar.

Throughout the decades, Caroline has travelled through bustling cities and quaint little towns, cruised oceans and trekked the mountains. She has tasted the art, the culture, the music, sometimes alone, sometimes with the taste of him spicing the flavour up.

Having experienced so much and still craving more, there's one thing Caroline loves to learn more than anything else.

 _Klaus._

One by one, her fingers itch to peel the layers off.

 _Furious. Goofy. Bloody. Ravenous. Broody. Caring. Murderous._

But as one of them falls off, he seems to don a few more.

Good and ugly, she wants, _needs_ to lick and taste it all.

And sometimes, there are these moments that made eternity sound like the vibrant tone of her laugh. They feel like a lazy Sunday afternoon, one you spend lounging in bed, only soft sighs and sweat and afternoon breeze cooling the bodies off.

Her hand smoothing the invisible creases along his skin, fingertips dancing between the ribs and then, a delightful surprise.

"You're ticklish." Her voice carries amusement that breaks into sweet little chuckles.

"I am not," Klaus sounds so gravely offended, it only makes her laugh more.

Swiftly, she runs her hands along his side and watches closely.

There it is. An almost unnoticeable flinch of a muscle and then he winces when it's clear that she saw.

Yet he denies, "Even if I am a tad tingly, it's only from the blood loss, love. Someone was feeling rather thirsty today, after all." Looking so damn smug, he throws his arms over his head, realizing that he's exposed himself perfectly just a second too late.

Caroline lunges in a full attack and then it's all uncontrolled laughter and bites and scrapes and more blood, until they're tangled mess of two bodies but they seem like one.

Her interest piqued so when he takes his fill of her, she checks.

 _It's only from the blood loss, love._

What a load of nonsense.

He's actually ticklish.

Jumping on him for a second round, Caroline marvels in that wonder of the day.

* * *

 _"_ ** _I think I'm in love with you and that scares the hell out of me."_ **

A strained gasp cut through the bedroom as she woke. Klaus' warm body enveloped her from head to toe and naturally, his eyes opened up immediately at the faintest sign of her distress.

And now they were carefully scanning every inch of her, surely registering her _deer-caught-in-the-headlights_ look.

This was not going according to plan.

But to be honest, falling in love with a 1000-year old hybrid had never been on Caroline's to-do list.

That bastard kind of sneaked up on her.

At first, it had been a "coincidental" (yeah, because she believed _that_ ) meeting here or there, a bottle of champagne, a tour of his favourite museum.

Then a phone call and a week-long sex marathon ending in a trashed hotel room,

An invite to see New Orleans that had been extended to 2-month vacation.

Vacation that had turned into living together.

Which left her here, with words threatening to spill out of her mouth that drew her out of her sleep.

"Caroline?" Concern laced his tone as his hands examined her body inch by inch. He looked almost boyish, with messy curls that had been mussed by her fingers, one loose strand falling over his forehead.

" _How do you say it?"_ she wondered while her fingers latched onto the single curl on its own accord, her eyes silently assuring Klaus she was fine.

She might have said it before but not like this. Not to him.

Lover. Murderer. Friend.

It would be no coming back from this, no running away.

 _How do you say it?_

 _You were unexpected._

 _You're the taste I feel on my tongue when I think of forever._

 _You're the blood that runs through my veins._

"What's wrong, love?" he prodded, knowing something was off. He always knew.

"Nothing's wrong." She leaned into his touch as his hand cupped her cheek.

A slow gulp. Scrape of teeth against her lower lip. A deep breath.

"I think I'm in love with you," Caroline spluttered and his caress stilled, lack of movement burning her even more than the graze of his skin against her own. "And that scares the hell out of me," she added quietly, her eyes meeting his.

Klaus seemed stunned for a moment and when his hand moved again, bringing her face closer, she could feel the slightest tremor in his muscles. And then his eyes flashed with gold, his gaze both euphoric and dark while his lips curved in the most subtle smile.

"Good," he uttered simply before burying his face in the crook of her neck, mouth nuzzling her ear.

"It scares the hell out of me, too." The words simmered against her skin.

* * *

 _ **Nails Marks**_

 _" **Klaroline + Versailles"**_

Caroline feels like she could write a book after all the travelling she has done with Klaus.

 _Sex In The Most Unusual Places : The Guide._

It's not like she hasn't done a fair share of touristy things as well. She has seen the famous monuments, visited the museums and medieval castles.

It's just that she might have left her nail marks on most of them.

She loves France. Rainy afternoons in Paris and lazy mornings in Provence. Steamy evenings in Saint-Tropez.

And she loves spending time with him, watching his eyes light up every time he speaks of art and then he looks at her - and it's the same light warming her.

"She would spend quite some time in this room, you know," Klaus says, tugging at her earlobe with his teeth, his hands slowly trailing up and down her sides as she stands by the decorative vanity.

They're in the Queen's Chambers in Versailles, admiring the room alone after Klaus compelled the tourists away. The sun shines subtly in soft afternoon rays, underlining the opulence surrounding them. "You knew Marie Antoinette? Let me guess, you used to lounge here with her?" she asks dryly.

"She preferred Rebekah, actually." His rough voice draws goosebumps on her neck and down her arms. "But I knew her well enough," he adds, just as his hand reaches for a brush that rests on the vanity.

It's beautiful, layered with gold and encrusted with jewels generously. Diamonds and rubies, crimson shade of the latter like blood against the blonde of her hair as Klaus runs the brush through her curls.

He pulls a little, his other hand grazing the curve of her breast and Caroline purrs in delight.

"She used to do her toilette in here, ladies of her court watching over every little detail. Sometimes she would be alone, only with those jewels as companions, her fingers caressing the gold, silver and gems." Opening the drawer, his hand closes over a heavy sapphire necklace, which he slowly clasps around her creamy neck.

Caroline cannot help herself and she touches the adornment, stunned by its beauty. Klaus's gaze is full of forceful admiration as he tangles his fingers with hers, leading her touch along the edges of the necklace.

Across her collarbone.

Through the buttons of her dress, undoing them to bare her breasts.

Down her sternum. Racing the droplet of sweat that trickled down.

Breath catches in her throat when she looks at her reflection in the mirror. Despite the brushing, her curls are a tangled mess, her eyes fiery and wild, two dark spots on her lust-filled face.

She sees Klaus behind her, their joined hands painting burning patterns on her skin and he looks at her, licking his lips as if he's hungry to recall her taste.

He leans forward, nuzzling into her crook of her neck, then lightly piercing her skin there with his fang. Before he wound heals, he dips his fingertip in the blood and smears it across her lips. "A true Queen," he whispers when veins protrude under her eyes.

"Klaus." It sounds like she begs but at this point, she just doesn't care.

She wants to be fucked. Hard.

"Oh, you will be love," he chuckles in her ear and Caroline realizes she's said it aloud. "But a queen needs to be appreciated." Pearl bracelet disappears from the drawer next and then, the smooth cold surface encircles her nipple, making her gasp at the contact with her hot skin.

Frustrated, she wiggles her ass against Klaus' pelvis, relishing in the deep groan that action elicits from him. Yet, he remains unrelenting, torturing her painfully hardened nipples with the pearls. Flipping up her dress at the same time, he cups her pussy, two fingers pulling the edge of her drenched panties aside as they wander along her folds.

"So fucking wet. I think I'll make you come just with my tongue all night, once we get back to the hotel. Drinking you up and getting drunk on your sweet arousal, then blood. Would you like that, love?"

"Yes," she moans. "But I want your cock. Now." Her tone falters as he pinches her nipples and sinks his fingers deep into her.

She can feel his smirk on her nape as he replies, "Anything you want, you'll get, Caroline. But first -"

His digits retreat from her heat and then she lets out another whine, just as the pearls brush along her slit and curl around her clit. It's like torture, the exquisite kind, her body trembling and ready to come.

She just needs one. More. Touch.

Loud clunk reverberates across the room as the pearls fall to her floor and she falls apart, with the barest graze of thumb against her clit.

Caroline glances at the mirror against, is welcomed with the sight of dishevelled hair and cheeks painted red. Their gazes meet in the reflection as she demands in a husky tone, "Fuck me. I need it, Klaus. I need your cock now. Hard and fast."

She hears him unzipping his pants in response, his eyes flashing gold as he curls two fingers into her again and then thrusts into her from behind.

"Kla-" Her voice breaks when he sinks deeper, slowly. But the way he stretches her so full drives her wild, the feel of both his hard length and fingers setting every single nerve ending in her body on fire.

Their moans melt together as he fucks her in slow, deep thrusts, Caroline's hips bucking in response even though her knees are buckling under her. The vanity trashes against the wall each time he pounds into her but it doesn't matter, the damn furniture can fall apart for all she cares.

"Faster," she manages, back arching into him and then groans in frustration when he pulls away his fingers again. Taking his hand, she closes her mouth over them, licking away her own arousal while she stares right into his eyes.

His breath is hot on her skin as he growls into her neck, and then, he bends her over lower and his pace fastens.

And his cock is pressing just the right spot.

Arousal coils in her belly again, her body straining tighter and tighter. She bites on his finger and sucks, mewling as his delicious blood stains her tongue. It's close to enough to push both of them over the edge and Caroline's almost there when she hears foot steps right down the hall.

"It's probably the guard. He's compelled, love. Even if he's just by the door, he won't go in," Klaus reassures her.

Surprisingly, her walls clench around his length harder and as the thought of the guard standing close, listening to them, crosses her mind -

\- she only grows wetter.

Naturally, Klaus's noticed. "Interesting," he muses, teeth scraping at he shoulder. "Maybe I should've let him watch. Would you like that, love? That man staring at your pretty arse as I fuck you from behind?"

"Yes," she moans as closes her eyes when he brushes her clit again.

"Look. At. Me," he rasps.

She does and he holds her gaze in the mirror. Her breasts are falling out of her unbuttoned dress with each thrust while his sandy curls ruffled and lips coloured with her blood.

 _We look amazing_ , Caroline thinks right before she comes on his cock, crying out her climax. She quivers, hearing Klaus fall over the edge with her name on his lips, his release spilling into her and slightly staining her inner thighs.

They stay like this for some time, with him still buried inside of her, their breathing jagged.

And perhaps, they try out the bed later on, and the long velvet chaise and tapestry-adorned wall.

Later that day, Klaus' hybrids might even clear the security feed and compel the stuff's memories away.

Still, in the next days, people wonder how these fresh scratch marks got over Marie Antoinette's favourite furniture.

* * *

 _" **How can I hate someone that I'm in love with?"**_

Caroline decides she really hates him.

Vehemently and with burning passion.

She's been on the brink of orgasm for _hours_.

Just after he arrived, they locked themselves in her college dorm, Klaus' travel bag hitting the floor as he took her fast against the door.

And he hasn't buried himself in her even once since, damn him.

She's handcuffed to bed, which is strewn with various toys; feathers, vibrators and dildos, discarded after Klaus has teased her into oblivion.

"I need to come," she croaks, her throat completely dry from endless cries for release.

He made her beg.

And she loved every single second of it.

Yes, she absolutely despises him.

He's hovering over her, a hint of smirk looming along his raspberry lips at her words. "And you will, love. When _I_ say so." His tone is hoarse as well, sign that he's not as in control as he's like to be.

Still, it's Caroline who lets out another frustrated moan when his fingertips brush against her clit in the lightest touch.

"I've waited long enough. Fuck. Me. No - " Her voice breaks at the feel of his fangs gently piercing skin along her labia and pressure of his lips sucking around the wound.

It feels like an out-of-body experience, the thought crosses Caroline's mind when she looks at her sweat-covered flesh, observes muscles that flex in her arms as she pulls at the handcuffs that Klaus has tied her to the the headboard with.

Then he rises his head and she loses her breath upon seeing his lips, stained with both her arousal and blood. His gaze is firmly set on her, flecks of gold brightening his eyes as he swipes his tongue around his mouth.

He leans forward, his breath tickling her ear when he rasps, voice lilting with promise, "Soon." His lips wander over her cheek, to her waiting mouth and Caroline catches them in a hot hungry kiss. Revels in her own taste mixed with his potent blood when she sinks into them with her fangs, warm crimson liquid coating the back of her throat.

"I adore you like this, Caroline," Klaus whispers after breaking the kiss. "I like you breathless." He pinches her nipple, drawing out a ragged groan from her. "I like you wet." Dipping lower, his fingers stroke her folds, a wolf-like grin appearing on his face when they both can _hear_ just how soaked she is. "I like you screaming my name."

"Klaus!" she cries out as he sheaths himself deep in her heat while his fangs rip into her jugular.

He drinks and fuck her in slow languid moves and Caroline is about to burst, tight and throbbing from all the hours of pain-shaded pleasure he painted her body with.

Lazily, he meets her gaze, watching her monster on display, the veins dancing under her eyes and the colours gleaming in her irises. With one hard thrust, he buries himself to the hilt, watching closely as she falls apart under him, moaning her orgasm onto his cheek in jagged hot breaths.

He's still hard with her walls contracting around him and Caroline can feel heat pulling in her belly again as the afterwaves of her release roil through her form.

Her eyes light up as something occurs to her.

And Klaus catches it immediately, as he always does.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice raw, ravenous, both with interest and lust.

Her smile is cunning, predatory as she licks her own blood from his mouth.

"Oh, I just wonder..." she trails off, then continues at his impatient huff. "How can I hate someone that I'm in love with? So fucking much." Her words are a whisper along his lips.

It's Klaus' breath that gets strained now, shudder coursing through him down to his cock as his frantic eyes search hers, pondering whether she means what she's just said.

"I do," Caroline simply states, reading his thoughts perfectly. In swift slick moves, she hooks her legs around his hips and draws his even deeper, clenching her muscles around his length.

Biting into his neck, she drowns herself in his blood and smiles against his skin when Klaus comes hard and hot inside of her, her name dying on his lips.

She decides then.

Perhaps she doesn't really hate him that much.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! The next update is going to be a regular-length, single drabble, I promise :) What do you think about these? Something in particular that you liked or didn't? Please let me know ;)**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	8. Hung Up (On You)

**AN: Hello, everyone! Thank you for all the love for this series, you guys rock my world ;) As promised, this time I'm here with a regular lengthy one-shot, not a compilation of mini drabbles.**

 **My usual canon of no magical babies whatsoever, set some time in the future. Written for Klarodrabblequest blog on tumblr (which you should totally check out if you haven't already).**

 **NSFW.**

 **Hope you'll like this one :)**

* * *

 ** _[Somewhere in Bavaria, Germany]_**

Caroline was not amused in the least.

Not even one bit. And it was all Enzo's fault.

 _Mostly._

Sure, she might have agreed to do this. But it had been _Enzo_ (or was it Kol?) who had come up with the idea.

And now she was hanging by the chains in some moldy dungeon and trying not to dwell on on how it resembled a torture chamber because the thought was just too disturbing. She had struggled for a bit in an attempt to get out of them, but it was futile.

They were probably spelled anyway.

"Don't fret, Gorgeous, we'll find our way out of this, alright? We always do," chirped her friend slash _devil incarnate_ , the one responsible for this whole mess.

Immediately, she bit back, "Says the guy who was held as a guinea pig for almost 60 years."

Feigning hurt must've been hard when one was dangling from the ceiling, but Enzo somehow managed to do just that, pointing his foot at her accusingly.

"Ouch. That was uncalled for."

"Oh, really?" she scoffed. "Because I'm pretty sure this was your _brilliant_ idea."

"Was it? Even if that's true, you had no qualms about it when you agreed to it. Merrily," he pointed out, sending her a knowing look.

"That's _so not_ how I remember it."

"Gorgeous, that isn't saying much, considering you probably don't remember anything."

* * *

 ** _[Hours earlier]_**

 _Caroline had always been a lightweight. Even with a few decades as a vampire under her belt, this one fact still remained true._

 _After she had finally put on her grown up vamp panties and set foot outside Mystic Falls and into the big wild world, the blonde had learnt many great things about herself. The greatest being that no matter how many nights she'd spent binge drinking - there was no way she could drink Enzo under the table._

 _Which was highly unfortunate, considering how the three of them had indulged generously in the finest German lager while lounging in the local tavern. Kol had joined them over a week ago in Poland (not surprising, given the liking he had taken to Enzo the last time their paths had crossed), where they had been enjoying music and tourists at the Woodstock Music Festival. Though Caroline wouldn't exactly say she'd particularly enjoyed the taste of sweaty people drunk on cheap beer._

 _Thus, a palate cleansing was in order._

" _I'm bored," Enzo drawled and the Original nodded along, which was a dangerous sign._

 _Especially with how Kol's eyes hungrily scanned the lingering tavern's patrons._

" _Indeed, it seems the place is dying down for the night. Darling?" he motioned towards the blonde who was currently musing about how wonderfully cool the bar top felt against her forehead. When she didn't react, Kol went on, "You know, I will never admit to saying this, but I wish Nik were here. That one never fails to liven up a Friday night. And Caroline here knows a thing or two about that, don't you, darling?"_

 _Caroline's head shot up so fast, she would worry about a sprain if it weren't for her supernatural healing._

 _"I have no idea what you're getting at," she lied oh-so-gracefully, jutting out her chin._

" _Really?" Kol beamed at her, his tone incredulous. "Because I recall, quite vividly if I may add, that time we walked in on the two of you all cozy, munching on that violinist." He shot her a dirty look._

 _Enzo chuckled, only to raise his hands in surrender when she glared at him._

" _What can I say, Gorgeous? I haven't been able to look at a violin bow the same way ever since."_

 _Caroline sighed. That had been in Vienna. They had come across Klaus in the opera booth, in what had to be the least subtly staged chance meeting ever. It hadn't been the first time nor would it be the last, she knew. But truthfully, since leaving her home town, Caroline had stopped lying to herself or denying what she wanted. Even with eternity ahead, it just wasn't worth the wasted time._

 _She and Klaus had done their usual dance of back-and-forth that night, which inevitably led them to the same place – bed._

 _Well, they_ had _ended up in her bedroom at some point. But before that had happened, there had been many, many places where Klaus had been just as willing to drive her to madness._

 _With his fingers. With his tongue. Or with…_

 _Feeling unbearably hot all of a sudden, Caroline signalled the barmaid for one more beer and downed it in huge quick gulps, Kol and Enzo bickering and teasing in the background…_

* * *

There had been some talk of possible entertainment and Caroline had listened with mild interest, her heavy head swaying against the hand she had plopped it on. Perhaps it was Enzo who had mentioned a medieval castle located nearby, and maybe she'd just imagined the glee simmering in Kol's eyes as he'd explained how to get to it.

And in the end, it might've even been her who had cheerfully suggested the break-in _because it sounds like such a delightful and not at all irresponsible idea and we can always compel our way out of this, can't we, don't be such spoilsports, you old farts._

Okay, so technically there was a tiny _tiny_ chance that it was her who had landed them in the dungeon. But still it was Kol who'd enabled them with his instructions and it had certainly not been _her_ less-than-stealth trespassing that had attracted the guards' attention.

Guards that were very much compulsion-resilient. Being old-ass vampires and all.

She should've known something was fishy when Kol had opted out of their little excursion last minute, taking a timely interest in a barmaid.

But no matter how dire their circumstances seemed now, Caroline felt deep down that it could have been much worse. Their captors hadn't been nearly as rough as they could have – they hadn't even used vervain on them, just the shackles.

Something stank.

Caroline had learnt long ago to trust her vampire instincts and according to those, there was a _something-doesn't-add-up_ tang going around the dungeon.

It was almost as if everyone had been instructed to contain them, with no actual physical harm. As if they were still waiting for the final decision to arrive. That could only mean one thing…

Klaus.

"Hello, Caroline," the voice she knew all too well purred in her ear after the Original vamped into their cell with a whoosh of air.

Typical.

"Of course it's you," she spat.

"Now, sweetheart, is that a proper way to treat me? After all, I'm the injured party here – you've trespassed on my property."

"Dammit, Kol," Caroline huffed, shaking her head at the fool's hunt he had sent them on. Of course he knew who the castle belonged to.

Klaus' chuckle reverberated across the moldy walls.

"Ah, you should know better than to trust my brother by now, love. Although I have to say I feel rather…grateful for whatever trick he pulled on you."

His tone was all honey and low, causing tension to coil slowly in her belly; her skin prickling with awareness. The closeness of his body and the fact she was literally hanging before him, at his mercy, did no favours to her hormones either.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm down, but all she managed to do was get hit with his masculine earthy scent. Promptly opening them again, Caroline was met with his face just inches away from hers, his focused gaze burning through her skin. Out of its own accord, her body leaned forward…

"You know, this little reunion is getting a tad uncomfortable for my taste and it's not even because of these chains," Enzo piped in.

Klaus' head immediately shot towards him, his eyes narrow slits. A smirk slowly curved his lips as he took in Enzo's slightly battered form, dangling loosely from the ceiling.

"Lorenzo," he sneered as a way of greeting.

"Always such a delight. I can tell what Gorgeous sees in you," Enzo drawled in response, his gaze flickering pointedly to the chains. "A little help here, mate?"

Behind Klaus, Caroline rolled her eyes at her friend's words. Figures – he couldn't stop himself from taunting the Original, even in the position he was in.

Klaus' smile was menacing. "Of course, mate. Where are my manners?"

He clapped his hands theatrically and two vampires walked in, bowing their heads humbly.

Caroline shook her head so hard that her entire body swayed on the chains until Klaus' hands gripped her hips, stabilizing her and at the same time sending a jolt of heat through her clothes.

"Take my _guest_ upstairs," he commanded with steel in his voice, motioning towards Enzo. "Make him comfortable. No need to rid him of the shackles, though," he threw over his shoulder as the vampires led out Enzo, who was busy fiddling with the metal cutting into his wrists.

Before the door shut behind them, he managed to wink and cast one last knowing look her way.

"Klaus!"

"Caroline," that smug bastard dimpled, making her insides turn.

Angling her head, she asked the question that had been nagging her. "You got here fast, even for you. How did you know it was me?"

He clicked his tongue, "Caroline, sweetheart. Beautiful, blonde, smart mouth? Quite recognizable poor taste in travelling companions? Of course I knew it was you."

That statement raised her brows. "Jealous?" she mocked carelessly.

"Always," came his simple response, tearing a gasp from her mouth.

Such a blatant response – the same honesty he had once thanked her for, now directed at her. But Klaus had never bothered to hide his longing for her, his want.

 _However long it takes._

Words that she had never quite managed to forget, nor was she sure she even wanted to. They haunted her always and everywhere, no matter where she travelled or who warmed her bed at night.

"Surprised, love? You know I'm not one to share."

His fingers seemed to dig deeper into her skin.

With her eyes narrowed and set on him, Caroline countered, "I'm not yours to share, Klaus. Or anyone else's, for that matter."

"Ah, yes, you've made that clear many times, love. Most explicitly, by choosing that insolent British git and my pest of a brother to show you the world."

 _Instead of me._

"But your body cannot forget my touch," he whispered as his hands ran down and up her sides, leaving a searing pattern in their wake. "Can you?"

With her throat suddenly dry, her voice was husky. "Arrogant," she croaked, swallowing hard. "Let me down, Klaus. This dungeon is a bit too shabby for my taste."

His gaze turned predatory and his smirk grew wider as he spoke, "So hasty. All in good time, I assure you."

The cool metal of the chains sent shivers down her spine as they pressed against her quickly overheating skin. She shifted once as she watched Klaus press a kiss to her neck.

"Still want down?"

Caroline swallowed heavily as he traced his fingers around her wrist, his hand massaging the skin around the handcuffs. The visual of him fucking her in the chains sent a jolt to her core and she bit her lip with want.

"No."

Diving under the hem of her top, his hand traced the line of her spine, then settled on the small of her back. Sending a thrill down her back at his touch, and she wanted nothing more than for him to continue touching her.

"Klaus." Her voice was no more than a whisper now.

She watched with bated breath as the fingers of his other hand played with the button on her jeans before he popped it open and slowly undid the zipper. A flicker of gold shone in his eyes as they darted up to her face, intense; studying. She gave him a little nod of encouragement as his eyes darkened lustfully.

"Remember Vienna? You looked ravishing that night. Coming on my tongue as I drank your arousal and your blood at the same time. Believe me, Caroline, I've never tasted anything as divine."

His words were a whisper against her skin, goosebumps covering her abdomen as he leaned forward and trailed his tongue just above the edge of her pants. Wandering lower and _lower_ , to the spot uncovered by the loosened fabric.

Caroline squirmed, her breaths becoming harsher and harsher as her muscles flexed in anticipation. She could feel her panties dampening – Klaus could surely smell her arousal.

He did. With his nose at the hem of her panties, he licked her slit through the material, leaving a wet trail behind.

She gasped, her hips bucking against his head before he steadied her once more.

"Delicious," Klaus rasped, holding her gaze. "You see, sweetheart, I want nothing more than to be the one to show you the world. To teach you what that exquisite monster in you is capable of. But since you're not yet ready for that…" he trailed off while wriggling her out of her jeans with a few nimble moves as she stepped out of them, "then I need that scent all over me and only me, Caroline. I want my touch to burn your skin. Deeper than anyone else. That close. I want to fuck you so hard that all you'll see is my face; all you'll imagine is my hands if someone else touches you."

Her pussy clenched at those words; at the gravel in his voice. Her arms were straining against the chains, the cold air brushing against the heat of her center and she felt so exposed, half naked in front of Klaus, with his eyes devouring every inch of her.

"Caroline?"

It coated her like honey, her name on his lips and it sounded just so _right_. And there was only one response that could leave her mouth.

"Yes."

Eyes completely golden now, Klaus ripped off her knickers with his emerging fangs and hooked her legs over his shoulders. She didn't even bother to hold back a moan that escaped her mouth as those fangs scraped their path to the apex of her thighs. His tongue traced her folds, missing the place where she needed it most.

Biting into her lower lip in frustration, Caroline jerked her hips desperately, seeking his touch. He chuckled and she could feel it against her oversensitive skin.

"So greedy," he hummed with satisfaction, fingers pressing harder into her buttocks. "And so wet for me. Tell me, sweetheart, do you enjoy hanging like this, all bare for me to see? Perhaps I shall keep you on the edge for hours, just one touch away from orgasm but not quite there. Or should I make you come countless times before I fill your sated boneless body with my cock?"

Her legs trembled, tightening around his neck at the same time.

"Or maybe I should just snap your neck right now?" Caroline bristled through her teeth.

His dark chuckle echoed across the walls.

"You might even succeed, with your sweet pleas and moans distracting me. But will it get you what you want?"

Teasingly, he grazed her folds with his human teeth.

"Klaus. Fuck me. Now."

He cocked his brow, waiting.

" _Please."_

Her plea ended in a low cry when Klaus' tongue plunged deep between her dripping folds. He pressed her harder against his mouth, his hands branding her body with his rough touch.

The dungeon filled with her whimpers as his languid moves made her thrash against him, with the soles of her feet digging into his back. Caroline wished her hands were free so she could tug at his curls or close them over her breasts as she rode his mouth. She wanted to pinch her nipples – perhaps the pain would distract her from the glorious torture Klaus was invoking on her body.

All of a sudden it stopped.

Tilting back his head, he chanted, "Divine," collecting the traces of her juices from his mouth.

"Bite me."

"Not very polite, love."

Caroline groaned, exasperated. He had her utterly frustrated and on the brink of what would probably be a mind-shattering orgasm and he still wanted to play games.

"Klaus," she bit out. "I want you. To. Literally. Bite. Me. _Hard._ "

His gaze darkened with lust, his monster fully on display as he considered her demand.

Slowly, too slowly, he grazed his double fangs along her inner thigh while his hand darted to her throbbing entrance.

With soft, leisurely strokes, Klaus swept his tongue over her slit, causing a shiver to go up her spine.

"More," she panted, arching her back to get as much friction as possible.

He lingered over her exposed flesh and Caroline could feel him taking in her scent, seeking for the perfect place to bite into. Everything in her was quivering with want, ready to combust, and the thought of him seeing her so closely, so intimately; revelling in the arousal pooling down her body, was all too much.

But she needed _more_.

That's when Klaus sank his fangs into her groin, pressing his thumb to her clit simultaneously. Caroline sobbed both in pleasure and pain as he drank from her, his lips a soft caress around the wound. The feeling of being so connected, with him swallowing her blood in long greedy gulps, combined with the pressure of his finger on her clit sent her over the edge.

Voice hoarse from her cries, his name died on her lips as ripples of pleasure surged through her body.

In one swift move, Klaus yanked the chains from their hinges and she slumped into his arms, detaching her legs and locking her still-shackled arms around his neck. With her limp form snuggled to his body, he headed to the far corner and sat with his back to the wall.

Nestling into the crook of his neck, Caroline purred in satisfaction, feeling sated and pliant and a little weak.

"Drink," came his command and he shifted his head to expose his jugular. "I'm not done with you yet, sweetheart," he added softly.

 _No, they weren't done_ , Caroline thought as his rich warm blood flooded her mouth and overwhelmed her senses.

 _However long it takes._

And, perhaps, it wouldn't take much longer.

Because the world was so much more compelling with Klaus by her side and the blood just tasted _better_ when she drank from his veins.

All she knew at the moment was that there was no chance of leaving this dungeon yet. For a while.

And that was enough for now.

* * *

 **Alright...Thank you for reading :) I know some of you were anxious to get back to regular full-length drabbles and I hope this one didn't disappoint you! What did you think of Carenzo brotp and jealous!Klaus? How was smut in the dungeon? Please let me know ;)**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	9. Burn The Pages

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews, favs and follows guys, you are incredible! This one was written for Day 2 of Klaroline AU Week, based on this prompt:**

 _ **"For the time shift day, may you write something about Caroline meeting the past version of Klaus (aka when he was human) ? She can be travelling to the past or maybe this past Klaus can be the one showing up in the present !"**_

 **Season 4 AU (going AU after Klaus' killing spree of hybrids and Tyler's mother). That means Kol is alive, there's no 4x16 and thus no baby and generally all the things that I like like to forget didn't happen.**

 **Hope you like it!**

 **Beta'd by arustykiss/CKhybrid, thank you :)**

* * *

 _Let's burn the pages  
We'll start anew  
Right through the ages  
Fate don't know you like I do - oh_

* * *

"Dammit!" Caroline shot up in bed, gasping for air as her hands clenched around sweat-soaked sheets.

She'd been dreaming about him. _Again_. Something she'd never thought would happen but here she was, restless and writhing in her own bed as images of her and the Original Hybrid raced through her mind. Naked. Sweaty. Buried deep inside of her as the grovel in his voice scratched against her ear and all the dirty words he rasped stuck to her skin. Her tongue darting out, she would trace it slowly along the lines of his bird tattoo, then trail down, to the ridges of his abdomen and lower to…

 _Stop thinking about it, Caroline._ Stop thinking about _him_.

Ever since the hybrid massacre, things had been going further and further south, to the point where she had stopped fooling herself that their town or their lives would ever go back to normal. Or normal-ish.

Tyler had left after his mother's death, with Hayley of all people - but while Caroline still felt hurt by his decision, she'd rather Tyler left than got himself killed with silly attempts at revenge. Bonnie had gone off the rails with help from Professor Shane, a Silas fanatic, and it'd actually been Kol who had helped to bring her back. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to stop the return of the ancient warlock, especially after Caroline had killed twelve witches to save her friend from a certain death, thus completing the third sacrifice.

Oh, and she had slept with Klaus.

She had been furious with him, for killing Tyler's mom, for bringing mayhem into their lives, for...causing her to question all her truths and making her want him in spite of everything he had done. Because, no matter how evil Klaus was, she couldn't help but see more of him, see deeper than the persona he had created to shield him against danger and pain but that was very much a part of him now. She had noticed the betrayal dimming his eyes after he had slain his hybrids. Those same eyes that lit up with warmth and laughter as he teased her with her Mystic Falls application. She saw the anger and hurt after she had told him he wasn't worth it. The silent determination and longing that burned her skin when he touched her, his hands, lips and eyes taking her all in as they desperately chased their release.

Her phone went off, breaking her out of her reverie as she reached towards her nightstand. Still distraught by her earlier thoughts, she didn't even check the caller ID, regretting it seconds later when Rebekah's angry voice rang in her ear.

"Get over here. Immediately," the blonde Original demanded, making Caroline's blood boil.

Even though the Mikaelsons stayed in Mystic Falls, set on eliminating the threat of someone so powerful roaming the earth - a goal that coincided with that of her and her friends' interests for once - her relationship with Rebekah could be described as strained on their best day. And she definitely didn't appreciate anyone bossing her around, ancient vampire or not.

"Excuse me?! How about you go to hell?" Caroline bristled through her teeth.

There was a long suffering sigh at the other end before Rebekah spoke again, rephrasing her earlier statement, swallowing hard as if being cordial to her was physically painful.

Caroline's lips stretched in a smirk at that but she lost it quickly when she heard the Original's next words.

"We need you to come over, Caroline. It's Klaus."

* * *

"How the hell did this happen?" Caroline asked incredulously, watching Klaus who was regarding kitchen appliances with great interest, his face molded in awe.

It wasn't the Klaus she knew, however. Unruly blonde curls were replaced by wavy shoulder-length hair. Instead of a familiar Henley, he was sporting a linen tunic and leather pants, necklaces still adorning his neck, although they differed from the ones he was normally wearing. Most of all, he seemed utterly lost and overwhelmed, his gaze nervously scanning his surroundings. His eyes were those of a stranger when they didn't focus on her as soon as she entered the room, when they didn't follow her every move with intensity that burned deep to her bones.

"Silas. Told ya he's real." Kol's smug voice chimed from his place on the couch, where he laid splayed, following his brother's every move with a smirk glued to his face.

Rebekah huffed in annoyance, "Yes, Kol, you've managed to be right for once. Get over yourself, you wanker."

As the two of them engaged in another heated session of bickering, Elijah approached her, shooting her an apologetic glance. "Forgive us, Ms. Forbes. My siblings have never quite managed to grasp the concept of manners."

Well, that was an understatement. "So what happened exactly? Where is Klaus? How are you planning on getting them back? You are getting him back, right? I mean I know he's - " Caroline peppered Elijah with questions before he interrupted her, gesturing with his hand for her to calm down.

"Like Kol's already stated, it was Silas. We don't exactly know how but it appears he cast a spell that simultaneously sent Klaus back in time and brought his old human self to present, for whatever reason. And of course we are getting my brother back, Ms. Forbes. While Niklaus might be a handful, he is family," he explained, examining her carefully.

While she tried to keep worry out of her voice as she spoke, she had failed, if the knowing grin spread over the Original's face was anything to go by. "So what do we do?" As soon as the question left her mouth, she cringed at her use of words.

There was no 'we'.

Rebekah scoffed at her slip, Kol seemed intrigued and Elijah just smiled, taking pity on her by divulging on their plans some more. "Kol has called up some of his witch connections, they're working on finding the spell as we speak. Apart from that, we need to focus on keeping Niklaus safe. It is crucial - " He trailed off, eyes flickering towards the kitchen at the loud buzzing coming from it. "Niklaus, put that down, you'll hurt yourself," he chastised his brother with a sigh when the latter had accidentally turned on a blender, continuing his earlier thought after Rebekah intervened, "It is crucial that Niklaus' predicament remains a secret. He's not to leave the mansion. Can I count on your discretion as well as some assistance, Ms. Forbes?"

"Assistance?" she croaked, her throat suddenly dry.

"Elijah wants your help babysitting Nik, darling," Kol chirped in, not one for sugarcoating.

Gulping, Caroline sneaked a glance towards the kitchen. Klaus was there, standing by the threshold to the living room where they sat staring at her. A slight blush crept up his face when he realized he'd been caught but he held her gaze anyway, dimples cutting into his cheeks as a small subtle smile curved his perfectly-shaped lips.

Those dimples hadn't changed for a thousand years, she noted, her stomach doing all sorts of twists and turns at the sight.

Screw it. If the Originals didn't kill Silas, she would.

* * *

It appeared that finding a spell for time-travel wasn't that easy, even with an entourage of witches ready to satisfy Kol's every whim and Bonnie who had been let in on a secret, her determination to end Silas overcoming her hate for Klaus. Both her and Caroline had practically moved in to the Mikaelson's mansion and it said a lot about the mess that was their lives and their friends as their constant absence went on unnoticed.

Over the course of the next few days, Caroline found herself falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. Human Klaus unnerved her. She was usually the one to keep an eye on him while his siblings ran around Mystic Falls, putting out fires caused by Silas or searching for a way to bring back their brother. It had been awkward at first, mostly because this Klaus was a bit more shy and a lot less evil than his present version, leaving Caroline unsure how to behave around him. Without their push and pull, this ritual dance where he showered her with attention and offered the world ripe for the taking while she shielded herself with all the reasons to deny him, she had no idea where she stood.

Like she said, it was unnerving.

"Caroline?" Klaus' crispy voice broke her out of the haze of her thoughts. "What grants me the pleasure of your visit?" he inquired cordially, taking hold of her hand and dipping his head to feather a kiss down her palm.

Even after being at the receiving end of his old-world-chivalry manners for almost a week, she still couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks. "I thought we could eat lunch together," she explained, motioning towards the pizza box in her other hand.

Klaus took it from her and led them towards the kitchen, shaking his head as if he was slightly embarrassed, "You mean that you brought me a meal to sustain me as my siblings deemed me unable to hunt." Having placed the box on the counter, he pulled back a chair for her, breath catching in his throat momentarily when his arm brushed against hers.

"It's not your fault, you know," she tried comforting him while ignoring the tingling that had risen in her skin at their physical contact. "Besides, we don't hunt nowadays anyway. Not if we can't help it. Now eat. I bet there's nothing as delicious as this in 10th century." Her voice warmed with a more cheerful tone as she offered him a slice of pizza.

"It seems food is not the only thing that my time lacks," Klaus remarked, casting an innocent look her way, although his impish smile was anything but.

Human Klaus appeared to be as much of a smooth talker as her Klaus.

 _What?!_

Caroline almost choked on her pizza upon the realization she had started to consider Klaus _hers_ at some point.

"What is the matter, love?" Concern marred his features as he observed her from under his lashes, noting the crimson tinging her face and her quickened breathing.

"Nothing. Everything's fine."

The look Klaus shot her was full of scepticism and his next words proved that much. "You're worried, Caroline," he spoke softly, "is there something I can do?"

Whether a human or a hybrid, it seemed Klaus couldn't be fooled no matter what and he still possessed the ability to see past her fake smiles and careful lies. It was a startling thought, rendering her silent.

He must've taken her silence as a refusal to answer his question because he looked at her apologetically, dimples cutting into his cheeks as a shy smile adorned his lips. "Forgive me, sweetheart. Naturally,a lady's secrets are her own. If you are not comfortable sharing them, perhaps I can take your mind off of it?"

A faint laugh escaped her lips at his proposal - how amusing it was that he proposed to fit into the role of her distraction, one she had played for him so many times before.

 _Not anymore._

In her case, though, a bit of distraction surely wouldn't hurt, Caroline mused internally as she glanced at Klaus, her lips curled in a little smirk. "Tell me a story, Klaus," she demanded, beaming at him when he chuckled coyly, his baby blues lighting up with excitement.

* * *

Oh, the stories he told.

Of their family, house filled with laughter and childish frolics in the woods, not a care in the world. Of the ever curious Henrik, Kol, mischievous but good-hearted, and Rebekah with her sandcastle dreams. Caroline would listen with bated breath, a dreamy smile on her face as she imagined their life and pictured Klaus in it. But then, as they'd grown closer and closer, Klaus's tone would turn darker, whispering of broken bones and backs whipped to blood, of Elijah and Tatia's betrayal, of Henrik's death.

It was bittersweet, how this first story had turned into several more after that to then turn into the last one.

Walking side by side, they made their way towards the clearing in the forest where the witches would finally perform the spell to bring back Klaus from the future and send human Klaus to the past. Grass rustling under their feet paired with leaves rustling on the wind underscored silence that had fallen between them, although it was a friendly one. Their hands would brush against each other accidentally, making her long for something, but she wasn't sure what it was. She just knew, as Klaus enclosed her hand in his, that it wasn't quite his touch - however soothing- that she wanted to feel, to burn through her skin.

As they came to a stop, half a coven of witches flitting around in preparations before them, Caroline could feel Klaus' piercing gaze fixed on her. With the corner of her eye, she noticed him biting into his lower lip, as if he was bracing himself to say something.

"You miss him," he finally stated.

A small gasp passed her lips, not because she was outraged by his words but because they rang true, catching her off guard. She had no idea when the hell it'd happened but somewhere along the way, amidst all the craziness they had endured, the notion of missing Klaus didn't seem so crazy anymore. Whatever his agenda was, he had stayed when he could've fled, working with them (well, more like commanding them) and going out of his way to ensure her safety.

"Yes," she uttered, "I know it doesn't make much sense. You're the same person. But…"

"But not really," he finished her thought.

"No."

She hesitated, so much more that threatened to escape her mouth stuck on the tip of her tongue when Elijah approached them, announcing, "It's time," before leaving them alone again.

Klaus turned to her, hand darting to cup her cheek as she leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering shut. "Well, love, knowing my siblings, everything will go according to plan and you will reunite with...your Klaus soon," he reassured her. "It's been an honour getting to know you, Caroline. My future self seems to possess an excellent taste when it comes to companionship." Still cupping her face, he leaned forward and placed a feather-like kiss in the corner of her mouth before heading towards his siblings and their witches. "Farewell, Caroline."

"Farewell," she whispered, hand darting to the place where his lips swept over hers.

As the chanting resonated against the trees, she cast one last look at Klaus and then vamped away.

* * *

Having ignored her friends as well as Rebekah's incessant messages, Caroline opted to spend her evening buried in blankets on her bed. She didn't feel like seeing anyone.

Well, that was only partially true.

She knew there was one person she both wanted and dreaded to see.

And as the air around her rustled, he was standing right by her bed, his eyes darkening as they hungrily raked over her form to finally focus on her face.

If Caroline were honest with herself, she'd admit she missed those eyes, the way they devoured her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Klaus."

"Disappointed to see me, love? It appears you've become quite fond of my human self," he didn't beat around the bush, his brows furrowed as he spoke.

Shooting him an incredulous look, she bit back, "Are you seriously jealous of yourself? And how do you even know this?"

He just stared at her pointedly.

"You remember?" she groaned, burying her face in a pillow.

"He's part of me, sweetheart. We share the same memories."

Her head snapped as his words sank in. Studying him closely, the features of his handsome face stretched/pulled in apprehension, the lines of his luscious raspberry lips so familiar, Caroline realized this Klaus and the human one didn't only share memories and the same looks. After a thousand years, he had grown into another person, naturally. It was the way of the world and she could only wonder what kind of a vampire she would make after a thousand years - it was an awfully long time, a concept that was yet simply incomprehensible to her. But, as much as she had fought it, even before meeting human Klaus, she had been privy to glimpses of him in the hybrid standing before her. Parts of him that he had allowed her to see and parts she couldn't help but see, no matter how hard she tried not to.

And maybe that was enough. Enough and _just right_ for her.

But she would never know without taking that one step forward, without taking his hand in hers and taking a dip in rough waters.

So she did. Pulling him to sit on her bed, she offered him some of her blanket and then snuggled into the crook of his neck as he settled against the headboard. He looked dumbfounded by her gesture and it was quite amusing to watch but quickly, his lips curved with a smug grin as he molded his body flush to hers.

It turned to a smile full of delight when he heard her demand, "Tell me a story, then."

* * *

 **So what did you think of this one? This was my first time travel AU, I admit it was fun too write ;) What did you think of human!Klaus/Caroline interaction? How Caroline was affected by meeting Klaus from the past? Please share your thoughts with me :)**

 **Till next time (which will be tomorrow lol),**

 **Kate**


	10. The Feline King

**AN: This one was written for Day 3 of AU Week (Because magic! theme). Hope you like it because I sure as hell had fun writing this one, even if I changed it a bit ;)  
**

 **Set approximately 2 years after 5x11, no Steroline, no Hayley and baby plot. Established, albeit long-distance, Klaroline.**

 **Prompt by purestsheartslove (I changed it a bit):**

 _ **"klaroline prompt for tropes day: klaus got turned into a fluffy little kitten. he didn't like that caroline had strict orders not to go outside so he disobeys her and accidentally ends up in a pet house, people can't get over how cute he is. fluff ensues"**_

 **The biggest thank you goes to arustykiss/CKhybrid for using her beta skills on this!**

* * *

He should've killed the doppelganger ages ago.

Every single one of them. After serving their purposes, they were nothing more than a bloody inconvenience anyway. How unfortunate that one of them had managed – despite all her hypocrisy and egocentrism - to sustain a friendship with a certain blonde vampire. Nevertheless, the idea of ending Elena's life was exceedingly tempting and Klaus purred, relishing in all the images that sprang to his mind, of ripped out insides and broken limbs, hopeless pleas filled with horror coating his ears. It was a shame, really, that killing her now would grant him more trouble than her useless life was worth.

Caroline would forgive him eventually, they had eternity ahead of them, after all. But why waste all the years he could spend travelling with her on an irrelevant pest? Even if that irrelevant pest was responsible for his current predicament, the thought crossed his mind, making him hiss in frustration.

When Caroline had called him, asking for his assistance with the latest trouble the Mystic Falls gang had got themselves into, Klaus had gritted his teeth, convinced that had Caroline moved to New Orleans already, she would finally be rid of the dead weight that she insisted on calling her friends. On some deeper level, he felt a pang of annoyance at himself with how the mere possibility of danger threatening Caroline had set him on a path straight to Whitmore, leaving all his business in Elijah's hands. It hadn't been the only time it happened and it showed a weakness within him, one he wasn't sure he would ever be willing to get rid of.

In fact, he _knew_ he wouldn't.

Pacing frantically around Caroline's dorm room, Klaus let his thoughts drift towards the witches that had turned him into this... _thing_. Even though the doppelganger would be granted his graceful forgiveness, the same couldn't be said for them. The coven that had dared to cross him would meet their end soon, he thought, glaring at his paws in distaste. He couldn't quite decide on the appropriate method of their annihilation, weighing the appeal of decapitation against slowly tearing them apart as his claws dug into a couch.

A freaking _cat_ , of all things.

He couldn't even bite anyone properly with the ridiculous little teeth he had been spelled with.

"Klaus!" Caroline's voice drew his attention as the blonde walked in, her shapely legs the only thing he could see from his new, significantly lower viewpoint. "We've talked about this - no scratching the furniture," she chided, picking him up gently and placing him on her lap after she'd plopped onto the couch. Her fingers cautiously scraped against his ear, as if asking permission and with a low drawn-out meow, he leaned into her touch.

Caroline's hand sank into his fur, tearing a content purr from him as he nuzzled into the space between her knees. Suffice it to say, getting his belly rubbed was not on his list of priorities but her touch was soothing, causing his agitation to subside slightly.

"You know, you make for a pretty cute kitten, Klaus," Caroline chirped, carrying on her caresses.

At her words, his head shot up and he sent her an indignant look, his claws coming out to dig into the fabric of her jeans to express his vexation. He might've been cursed but he was no 'kitten'. 'Cat' sounded more dignified and even as a feline, he had a reputation to uphold.

Fortunately, Caroline seemed to get it. "Alright, you're not that cute," she conceded, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I just came for a sec to give you an update. I talked with Kol and apparently he has some witches on retainer in the area. I'm picking them up from the airport so I need to go." With that, she took him off her lap and laid him next to her. Stubbornly patting her thighs with his paws, he bore his eyes into hers.

"No way. I'm not taking you with me." Somehow, even with him communicating via meows and yowls, Caroline still knew what he meant. And she was still as difficult to persuade as she always had been. "I don't want fur everywhere in my car, and besides, it's not like the witches are going to unhex you at the airport."

Dashing to the door right after her, he mastered his best 'kitten eyes' on her but naturally, it didn't work. Not with Caroline.

"No, Klaus. Everything's under control, I've got it." Her hand glided a path down along his spine, petting him soothingly. "You'll be safer here. Just _don't_ go out anywhere," she cautioned him, before the door closed behind her.

* * *

Looking back at things, he should've listened to Caroline.

But he'd been confined to that dorm room for over a week and he'd been growing restless - making the fresh air and green grass outside too much of a temptation. No one could blame him for wanting to sneak out, he'd reasoned before jumping to the door knob and opening the door. His grand escape would've gone quite well overall, if it hadn't been for some insolent girl that had spotted him hiding among the bushes in the park.

Klaus had hissed and snarled, pawing at the offender with his claws but he'd remained trapped in the girl's steel grip until she brought him to one of the sorority houses at the campus.

He'd been miserable before but it was nothing compared to this agony. High-pitched squeals and cries of delight were so loud that he almost couldn't hear his own thoughts. Then, one of those insufferable humans had decided to dress him up and tie a bow around his head.

He would eat her first once he was back in his hybrid body.

"Oh, look how cute she is," one of the girls, a brunette, coed as they all gathered around him.

What an idiot, she couldn't even tell his sex.

Another one boldly put her hand on his nape, in an attempt to pet him, only to withdraw with a panicked yelp when he flung a paw to claw at her face.

Only Caroline could touch him like that.

"Bad kitty!" The brunette chastised him with a pout.

He was a cat, not a bloody kitten, dammit, how hard was it for these peasants to comprehend?!

Klaus was about to make a go at fleeing once more, teeth out to bite a hand that was fixing the bow on his head when a door flew open, revealing Caroline, fury radiating off her in waves.

"What the hell are you doing?! He's not a toy!" she growled and he could see a few veins protruding under her eyes, a faint sign of her vampire features threatening to emerge.

While he was looking forward to snacking on all the sorority girls himself, an appropriate punishment for their insolence, the image of Caroline doing so herself would be incredibly appealing. To his utter disappointment though, that wasn't what followed as the blonde vampire strode into the room, compelled everyone with words that brought a smirk to his muzzle and strutted out with him tucked in her arms.

 _His Queen._

* * *

Eyes fluttering shut, Klaus rested his head on her lap, letting out a sigh of contentment at the fact he could finally touch her and experience her touch in his own skin. Even if he still felt a little off-balance - sure, he was used to transforming into an animal and pacing on four legs but that ridiculous scruffy thing the witches had turned him into could never compare to the magnificence of his wolf. Everything about it felt wrong, he thought, his face scrunching up in disgust as he sniffed the air around him. "I still smell like a cat," he uttered, bitterness tinging his tone.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline hovered over him, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. "More like all the witches you just killed," she scoffed against his skin.

"The needed to be dealt with, love. I did spare the ones who weren't directly responsible, as per your request." His fingers delved into her sunny curls as he spoke.

"I know," she mumbled, rubbing her nose against his pulse point. "I didn't say it's a bad smell, you know." With a teasing smile, she nipped at his jaw and Klaus could feel her fangs slowly protruding at the scent of blood that still enveloped him. "In fact," she continued, pinning him down with a look of a predator stalking his prey, "you still have a little drip here, let me get that for you." Letting out a playful growl, she flipped them over so that he was trapped beneath her body while she licked at his chin, only to take over his mouth in a ravenous kiss moments later.

Caroline's surprised shriek echoed across the room when he rolled them off the couch, cushioning her fall with his body before pulling her under him. Furniture clattered and fell down as they battled for dominance, the blonde's pearly laughter warming his ear while her nimble fingers roamed the ridges of his body.

And as Klaus kissed his own blood off her lips hours later, he realized Caroline Forbes held a power to turn even this pesky curse into one more glorious memory.

* * *

 **So...did you suffer from fluff overload xD ? What did you think of kitten!Klaus and his inner thoughts? Caroline saving him from sorority girls? The fluffy ending? Hope you liked it!**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	11. The Things I See

**AN: Thank you for all the reviews and such, lovelies :) They really make my day!**

 **For Day 5 of AU Week, I have this little snippet for you; future canon things BUT none of the ugly canon things like magical pregnancies or steroline exist.**

 **Beta'd but the ever awesome garglyswoof *she writes the best stuff, ya'll should check it out***

 **Based on prompt:**

 _ **"(...)could you write something about the supernatural community's reaction to Caroline finally arriving in NOLA? Or maybe Caroline's class/dormmates reacting to her gorgeous British boyfriend with the dimples? I just really like outsider POVs haha... anyway, thank you so much for all the wonderful writing you've done for the fandom! DFTBA!"**_

* * *

Lily groaned, hearing the commotion down the hall as she headed to her room. The dormitory resonated with female giggles and longing sighs, all of which could mean only one thing.

Forbes' perfect British boyfriend had come to visit.

Which meant that apart from all her dormmates' endless jabbering and gushing over the tasty hunk Forbes had landed, she would also have to endure at least a few sleepless nights. She had the misfortune of living in the room next to Caroline's, and her and the British candy?

They were so freaking _loud_.

Their behaviour actually bordered on troublesome on occasion as Lily was sure it wasn't physiologically possible to have sex that many freaking times. But apparently Mr. McDimples had superhuman stamina going for him as well as being perfection personified.

Although...Klarence, or whatever his douche-fancy name sounded like, wasn't always as perfect as her dormmates painted him to be. From what Lily had observed (not that she had gone out of her way to do so), Caroline's boyfriend tended to operate on more of the possessive and overprotective side. She had noticed the way he glared daggers at people who diverted the blonde's attention from him, men and women alike. Having been an unwilling witness to more than a few of their fights - she knew Caroline did _not_ appreciate this side of him. In the end though, the couple always made peace somehow, their making-up almost as loud as the arguments.

Mr. McDimples' behaviour was even borderline disturbing at times - like that one time Jesse decided to move to Greenland all of a sudden, coincidentally only a few hours after having dared to flirt with Caroline in front of her boyfriend. Lily certainly had her suspicions about that.

Nevertheless, there was no denying the devotion and adoration that flickered through the darkness of his eyes whenever Caroline was near. Just as she seemed to brighten even more in his presence. And it was adorable, really, the way she charmed him by not falling for his charm.

Shaking her head, Lily shut the door behind her with a loud thud and chastised herself for wasting time on such silly thoughts. It seemed she was no better than the rest of her fawning dormmates.

Must be that British charm.

* * *

"He's here again!"

"Have you seen that ass?"

"Have you seen those dimples?"

"I can't believe Forbes is fucking that piece of candy."

Klaus smirked, feeling Caroline groan into his neck. They were dancing in the middle of Alpha Chi Omega's sorority house, hearing all the comments made about them unbeknownst to the other partygoers. Caroline had insisted on showing up, laying it out very clearly that just because her boyfriend (could even ancient as fuck vampires be called such?) had decided to surprise her with an unexpected visit, she wouldn't miss the bash she had single-handedly organized. He might have tried to coax her into staying with a dirty promise or two but Caroline had remained undeterred, knowing that if the night went well she would be cashing in on those anyway.

Although as the night progressed, she had come to regret her decision, her dormmates' incessant flailing over Klaus starting to grate on her nerves.

It'd been like this every single time he visited. The awestruck expressions and drooling would accompany them everywhere, sometimes paired with poor attempts at flirting with her _right there_ next to Klaus. Frankly, Caroline's patience was wearing thin as it caused one stubborn doubt to gnaw at her.

Did he have a similar entourage of groupies back in New Orleans?

The thought only annoyed her further, her nails sinking into the skin of Klaus' upper arms and a loud groan leaving her mouth. It only made his smirk grow wider as he tightened his hold on her body, lips trailing over the curve of her neck enticingly.

"Feeling a tad irked, love?" The smugness in his voice reached a new level as he added, "There no need for you to be jealous, you know?"

With a scoff, she tilted back her head to glare at him. "I know, and I. Am. Not. Jealous. Just don't think you need your ego stroked even more."

His hot breath caressed her ear as Klaus leaned forward, tongue tracing that place just behind the lobe which always drove her mad. "It just so happens I like just this one person to do the stroking, perhaps you even know her?"

"Oh?" came Caroline's inviting response.

"Stunning, blonde and vivacious. She's quite a dancer, too," Klaus chimed while his fingers snaked down her spine, playing with the edge of the very low cut in the back of her dress.

Her eyes gleaming happily, she teased, "Sounds like quite a woman."

"Sounds like a Queen," he corrected her, a more serious note colouring his husky voice.

An astounded expression shaped her features for a moment, only to be followed by a small mysterious smile. Hands on his nape, she pulled Klaus closer and heatedly rasped a string of words into his ear, his gaze darkening with each one.

Caroline could hear a collective gasp echoing across the room when he swiftly scooped her into his arms and got them to her room as fast as possible without using vamp speed.

* * *

 _[Paris, 50 years later]_

This simply cannot be.

Lily sees them again this autumn morning, on the way to her apartment as she struggles to balance her cane, umbrella and a bag of the best Parisian croissants in her hands. For a moment, she thinks she's mistaken the pair for someone else, but it's simply not the case.

She would recognize those dimples and the girl's pearly laugh anywhere.

For some people perhaps, the sight of their college friend and her boyfriend completely untouched by time after fifty years would be a clear indicator they have gone completely insane. But what Lily finds true is that when you reach a certain age, there are very few things left to actually surprise you or cause distress.

And perhaps she sees things differently now that's she in the winter of her life, or maybe it's them that have changed, but her teenage qualms are finally appeased. Because even from the other side of the street, she can feel the burn of the man's gaze as his eyes roam over the blonde - but - there's also something _more_ simmering there. This same look her husband would have every morning he woke up next to her.

They stroll in the same direction as her, the man's arm snaked around the girl's waist while she keeps her hand in his coat pocket. Lily cannot help herself and sneaks another glance, a ghost of a smile threatening to curl her lips as she watches the girl - Caroline, was it? - feed her partner some of her croissant. He dimples at her when she gathers the lonely crumb from the corner of his lips with her thumb, then playfully closes his mouth around the fingertip. A gesture that's so gentle and yet screams of a familiarity that only comes from years together, building the knowledge of what smile number nine means and which timbre of voice should warn you of an upcoming argument.

The man sinks his face in Caroline's blonde waves, placing a gentle kiss at the top of her head, and Lily's fight against her emerging smile is lost. Wrinkles stretch around her mouth and under her eyes as a chuckle escapes her lips and she tilts her head, laughing out loud now, amazed by the wonders that can be experienced on this Earth.

Like the spectre of a man's love tinging his irises and a woman's pearly laugh that sounds so clear when she feels loved and cherished.

* * *

 **AN: So what did you think? I must admit it's my first time writing from "outsider's" POV so I'm curious how this turned out in your opinion. Please share your opinions with me ;)**

 **Thank you for reading and till next time,**

 **Kate**


	12. The Riddle Of You

**AN: Written for day 6 of AU Week, Myths & Legends. Hope you like ;)  
**

 **Summary: Klaus broke his curse and killed Mikael in 15th century. He and his siblings celebrate his 1000th birthday in Florence when Kol decides to give him something quite unusual as a gift. Or rather, someone…**

* * *

He liked pretty, unusual things.

Klaus was not afraid to admit that. Perhaps it was his deep-buried artistic soul peeking through or simply the fact that eternity stretched for an unthinkably long time - thus, leaving him in need of a hobby.

Many things could be pretty and even more could be unusual - it all depended on the eye of the beholder, after all. No two people viewed beauty and art in the very same way, contrasting notions and opinions painting the world in a prismatic waves of colours that still held the power to leave him in awe. He had nothing but contempt for those vampires who had grown bored with immortal life, unavoidably finding it more and more tedious with the passing years.

Pathetic, barren-minded fools.

The day he had become truly indestructible - his curse broken and his family's life on the run concluded with a swift plunge of his hand into Mikael's chest - was the day he had started to breathe again. The universe was vast and vibrant, his for the taking as he sat on his throne at the top of the food chain, the connoisseur of the world.

Sometimes the colours would become a smidgen washed-down, bland and dull, at least till a brand new palette emerged to hold his interest again, like a goal that nestled in his mind, a top of the mountain that begged to be reached, a dreamland to be conquered.

Well, _she_ certainly could be his new dream.

Eyes set firmly on the creature in front of him, Klaus revelled in the exhilaration that came over him as she met his gaze with unwavering resolve. Trapped in a cage and yet, she looked nothing short of regal, pacing restlessly with her head held high while shiny blonde waves encircled her face like a golden mane. The air around her was simmering with magic and it felt old. Older than a spell that had turned his siblings and him into vampires, it seemed. Something ancient, something more that made his skin prickle with anticipation and his muscles tense with wariness. Klaus had seen enough of witchcraft and magic to suspect that the creature standing so proudly before him wasn't made by any spell. She simply was.

And damn him if that wasn't the most sinister possibility.

He didn't like it, the notion that there was someone out there, more powerful than him. Not when he had been adamant in ensuring that wasn't the case, snuffing out the mere idea of resistance the moment he saw little specks of betrayal lingering in the perpetrator's eyes. At the same time, the thought was…thrilling in a way. There was still something left to be conquered, another battle to amuse himself with.

"Tasty little thing, isn't she?" Kol's cheeky voice broke him out of his thoughts.

His younger brother had dragged him away from the party going on downstairs to Klaus' private studio, informing him that his birthday gift had arrived and insisting that they went to see it right away. Normally, he wasn't one to cater to his ridiculous whims but in this instance, he would lie if he said he wasn't intrigued what his pest of a sibling had come up this time. The upside to Kol's insanity was that he always found the most unusual gifts.

Klaus nodded noncommittally, keeping the harsh words that threatened to spill from his mouth inside. He didn't like his brother speaking of the woman so casually but he also resented the surge of possessiveness that washed over him upon hearing Kol. With his face formed in an emotionless mask, he asked instead, "What is she?"

Taking a huge gulp out of a wine bottle in his hand, Kol sauntered to the balcony and leaned against the railing. The view of Florence at night stretched behind him, their villa's location allowing them the perfect perspective of the city. Instead of answering, he rose the bottle to his mouth again, taking unusually long time (at least for him) to savour the drink.

"Kol," came Klaus' growl, the hybrid growing impatient with this stalling tactic.

With a long suffering sigh, he finally said, "I'm not bloody sure, okay? All I know is I lost twenty witches trying to catch her. None of their spells worked on her. And she ate half of them, Nik. Isn't that fantastic?"

He shook his head at the cheerful tone of his voice. Only Kol would be that excited over such carnage.

Actually, it must have run in the family, he mused internally as he felt the twinge of arousal pooling in his body when images of the blonde, bloodied and feral in the midst of the fight flooded his mind. "How did you capture her, then?" he asked hoarsely.

Kol's lips curved in a wide grin. "Greta threw herself at her when she was busy dismembering another witch. Managed to clasp that ancient magic-binding collar you once found in Greece around her neck. Apparently it weakens her enough that she cannot transform fully," he explained before adding, sarcasm seeping in his voice, "Valiant little witch, that Greta. Too bad our blonde beauty here snapped her neck before she could get away."

Whooshing towards his brother, Klaus snatched the bottle from his hand and smashed it against the railing. "You stole the Knossos Collar from me?!" he snarled, holding the broken glass against Kol's neck, droplets of blood already staining his crisp white shirt.

"I got your favourite witch killed and you're angry over some bloody artifact. Good to know you have your priorities in order, brother."

"Kol."

"It got you this pretty birthday present, didn't it? Why so uptight, Nik? Is your old age finally getting to you?"

The younger Mikaelson's voice held no hint of remorse whatsoever. And the truth was Klaus really wasn't that upset over Greta - however skillful she was both at magic and keeping his bed warm on occasion, he could always find another witch. It irked him that Kol had taken the collar but it was stored in the family vault so he shouldn't have expected anything better of him. What unsettled him most was that the piece of jewelry had been clasped around the blonde's this whole time and yet he hadn't noticed, too busy admiring her.

With a malevolent smirk spreading across his face, Klaus relaxed his grip on Kol and patted him on the chest. "You're absolutely right, brother. This is indeed the most stunning gift. Now I wish to be left alone with it," he admitted graciously, enjoying the look of confusion on the other man's face at his sudden change of attitude. "Thank you, Kol," he bristled through his teeth before throwing him over the railing and walking back inside.

It was time to talk to his guest.

* * *

"That was quite rude of you." The blonde's vibrant voice welcomed him.

"Don't say you feel bad for Kol, love. He was the one to catch you, after all."

"I didn't say I disapproved," she quipped resolutely, sneaking a glance at him from under her lashes.

Klaus could feel the intensity of her gaze on his skin, scorching right though to his bones. There was a certain allure to the way she would meet his stare head on, slightly tilting her head as she looked at him, seemingly deep in thought as if he were her favourite puzzle to solve. Tracing his lower lip with his tongue, the wolf in him purred in delight when he saw her repeat the gesture, her eyes following his every move. It was as if she was inviting him to play.

And who was he to deny the lady?

"So it seems you have eaten my most useful witch," he stated, lifting his brow.

The woman chuckled, her head dipping back and exposing the creamy curve of her neck. His gums ached, fangs ready to emerge and sink into that delicious flesh, to save the taste of her blood on his tongue. He held back though, even if it took a lot of his self-restraint. But he didn't want to spook her, at least not yet anyway - for now he needed her willing and talking and sharing her secrets. Besides, she didn't seem like to type to be easily scared, if her nonchalance was anything to go by.

And if he were honest with himself, Klaus would admit he didn't really want to see fear in those ocean blue eyes, not when she looked at _him_.

As if she heard his thoughts, the woman's eyes shot back to him, her irises filling with vivid mixture of greens and yellows, giving her gaze somewhat catlike appearance. "I like witches. They're tasty," she purred, flashing him a smile that was all teeth. "I wonder what flavour you'll leave on my teeth once I get out of here."

"A little bloodthirsty, aren't you, sweetheart?"

"It's like I don't take too kindly to imprisonment. Shocking."

"It's only a precaution. As soon as I know you pose no threat, I will free you."

The blonde cocked her brow at that, clearly doubtful, "Really? Because I recall being referred to as your birthday present. It doesn't really fill me with confidence in my impending release."

"Oh, believe me, love, I would crave nothing more than to keep you. But whatever my faults, I've' never taken a woman against her will," he said, stepping closer to the cage.

His captive let out a huff, clicking her tongue before she drawled, "Well, aren't you the epitome of all man virtues, Niklaus Mikaelson."

"So you know me. Splendid," Klaus smiled amusedly. "Although it leaves me at disadvantage for I don't know who you are, sweetheart."

A glint of yellow flashed through these beautiful eyes as she leaned towards him, her fingers wrapping around the metal bars. "I know many a thing, Niklaus. And I will figure out how to get that ridiculous necklace off - hell burn those bloody Greek witches who spelled it - and then I will leave that cage. Free me now and I'll be benevolent."

"I believe you're in no position to negotiate, love. I've got the upper hand."

"Oh, the arrogance of youth! I might eat you anyway, if only to teach you a lesson," she groused, rolling her eyes.

"I'm hardly a youngling, love. And you still haven't told me your name or what you are."

"Age is such a subjective thing though, isn't it?," she mused, "and the name's Caroline, so you may as well stop calling me those ridiculous pet names."

A wave of disappointment coursed through Klaus as he heard her answer the question so fast. Somewhere deep, he hoped she wouldn't cave so soon, that she would spar with him some more. "Caroline," he repeated, enjoying the way the name rolled off his tongue with ease no less.

Once again, it seemed as if she saw right through him. "Disappointed? Worry not, this is just my human name. Irrelevant in the grand scheme of things although I'm still quite partial to it."

"What are you, Caroline?" he prodded stubbornly, his wolf restless and anxious under his skin.

Shooting him a dazzling sweet smile, she beckoned him closer with her finger, her voice a honeyed whisper as her breath trickled down his ear and neck. "That's for me to know and you to guess, Niklaus."

With a step back, Caroline let out a low hiss of pain as her body struggled to change, the strain her bound magic had on her visible despite her best efforts to hide it. The dress she was in ripped in the back as huge, feather-covered wings began to emerge from her shoulder blades. Talons grew out of her fingers and toes and she hissed, showing four long canines sticking out of her mouth. Something sprang out of her back and Klaus' eyes widened as he realized it was a tail, possibly resembling that of a lion.

Caroline straightened, her chest falling and rising rapidly as she breathed, in and out. She bore her eyes into him, sending shivers down his spine as he noted how feral and hungry her gaze had turned. He couldn't help himself but take one step closer, this unearthly creature mesmerizing him with every breath she took.

His brother was right. There were many tasty little things in the world. But her?

She was exquisite.

"What am I, Niklaus? Answer and maybe I will spare your life."

* * *

 **AN: So what do you think of this one? Can you guess what kind of mythical creature Caroline is? Do you think Klaus will guess :P ? Please share your thoughts with me ;)  
**

 **Thank you for reading and all your support,**

 **Kate**


	13. Pas De Deux

**AN: Hello there, lovelies! I know it's been a while but I hope you're all well and ready to read some klaroline :)  
**

 **This one if for one of my very favourite people, Ashlee aka austennerdita2533. Once again, happy birthday and I hope you like this one!**

 _ **Synopsis: In XIX Russia, Klaus sees a certain blonde ballerina on stage and is enraptured from the start.**_

 _ **In other words, the three times Klaus has seen Caroline dance - a story told in 3 acts.**_

 _ **Features Fae!Caroline (if you couldn't already tell that I'm obsessed with all things acomaf xD ).**_

 **P.S. In "Swan Lake", Odette and Odile (Black Swan) are usually danced by the same ballerina. But for plot/characterization reasons, this is not the case in this drabble at some points.**

* * *

 _ **1879, Russian Empire, Zheleznodorozhny**_

The first time he sees her, she's Odette.

The production is nothing like the one he's seen Moscow - not necessarily as bad thing given how poorly executed it was. The stage is too small and the town's folk might be causing too much of a ruckus, more interested in watching lithe, tightly-clad bodies than appreciating the finery of movements but there's something about this performance that calls to Klaus.

Perhaps letting Rebekah talk him into coming here tonight wasn't such a bad idea.

They've been living in Russia for months now and although Klaus has remained cautious, it really seems that Mikael's lost track of them.

They were residing in the Ottoman Empire when conflict with the Tsar broke and he and his siblings decided it was the best time to move on. Planning on losing Mikael in the chaos of war and the vast lasts of Russian Empire, they'd settled in Moscow, then set out to travel further when Klaus' paranoia kicked in and he decided staying in one place for too long was too risky a move.

Zheleznodorozhny seems like the perfect hiding place - at least for now. It's a small town but the traffic is reasonably high with the newly built railway station which makes it far easier to blend in.

It's even attracted a wandering ballet troupe.

Elijah scrunched his face in distaste at Bekah's suggestion to go and see them dance, revolted at the idea of watching a performance that would most likely turn out to be subpar at best. Kol was resting in his coffin with a dagger in his heart - yet again - having caused quite a scandal after seducing a daughter of the British ambassador in Moscow.

And then seducing her father.

The carnage that followed didn't help them with keeping low profile either.

"That chassé was painful to watch." Rebekah leans over, her whisper resounding in his ear as they sit near the stage, watching act II unfold.

"Still bitter over your grand ballet fiasco, sister?" Klaus quips in response, then proceeds to ignore everything but the lithe blonde who's the only one making this performance bearable.

It's admirable, how her features compose into the perfect balance of apprehension, cautious curiosity and coyness. Even more so when he notices a tiny wrinkle in the corner of her mouth, a sign of tightness, strain. It shows through the joyous glimmer in the girl's eyes too, as she tests the limits of her body with unmeasurable strength and enthusiasm.

Light and shadow dance on the her face, pas de deux that's as captivating as the one happening onstage. Her hair is tied and pinned up, revealing the gracious curve of her neck, with veins stretching along its smooth line when she tilts her head backwards. Breath hitches in his throat at the sight of her pulse point, he's drawn to it like a moth to the flame.

Except he's never been the one to walk into danger recklessly, _he_ is the danger, he is the flame. And he wants this Odette to burn under the weight of his gaze, to set her skin on fire with his touch; the flick of tongue, the grip of hands.

Her veins colour her skin with faint blue but there's a lovely rose flush on her cheeks and Klaus imagines - no - he _knows_ exactly how red her blood is, how -

How nicely it would stain his lips with crimson were he to sink his teeth in her flesh, her heartbeat thrumming in his head, her taste coating his throat. Would it be iron-sweet or would it mix with the thrilling flavour of fear? His tongue prickles with need, his mouth watering as he wonders and he can feel the veins under his eyes protruding. As if drawn by the heat of his gaze, ballerina chooses this exact moment to steal a glance his way, surely noticing the red of his stare. Reigning his features immediately, Klaus berates himself for the slip, expecting the girl to lose her steel composure.

She doesn't miss a single step.

Yes, her pulse quickens and her hand trembles slightly when she holds it above her head in _écarté_ but that's the gist of her reaction.

How peculiar.

His brow darts up in a silent challenge but the girl doesn't look at him again, focused only on finishing act II, then acts III and IV seamlessly, her head held high. In spite of himself, he's impressed by her steel composure even though everything in him should scream to rip her head off at this cold dismissal.

But there's something about her, this pretty little dancer, and Klaus is going to find out what it is.

And then he'll reconsider tearing off that beautiful head of hers.

* * *

He waits for her in the shadows.

The girl exits the run-down building the town uses for gatherings, her steps light and elusive as she moves in the night. She looks otherworldly with the moonlight brushing her face, graceful even in her thick wool coat and fur ushanka. Klaus suspects she cannot be more than eighteen, her skin smooth and perfect while her smell is fresh and flowery and -

Magic.

The scent hits his nostrils and he chastises himself for not catching it sooner.

That distinct whiff of glamour.

"My admirers usually wait in line after the play, not lurk in the shadows." She's come closer, now leaning against a tree opposite of him.

Careless girl, High Fae or not.

"Perhaps you're not that good a dancer, love," he drawls, relishing in the annoyance flashing through the blue-green of her eyes. It's quite an insignificant revenge for the way she ignored him earlier. He could still kill her, after all.

She huffs. "Of course not. I'm _better_. And stop with the endearments - we don't know each other that well yet."

"Yet." He licks his lower lip. "I like the sound of that."

"That -," she lets out, exasperated, "that was not what I meant!"

"It's perfectly understandable, _golubushka._ Many find me irresistible."

"And do many find you arrogant as well, bloodsucker?"

 _She's sensed who he is then._

Klaus' brow inches up. "I thought it was too soon for endearments in our relationship?"

"We don't have a relationship. Apparently you're stalking me," she insists.

"And yet, you're not afraid of me. I find that fascinating." It's true. She might be immortal like him but he has a raw power of nine hundred years under his belt - she's a youngling compared to him. But still, her stance remains calm while her gaze burns with defiance.

It's exhilarating. It's like a breath of fresh air after decades of suffocating in boredom.

The dancer shrugs, a sunshine blonde lock of hair falling against her forehead. Klaus' hand is itching to dart out, to brush the loose strand behind her ear. He imagines sucking on the pointy ends, his teeth grazing her earlobe while his fingers skim down, down, _down_...

"You cannot possibly be any worse than human men I know," she says, breaking him out of his reverie.

" _Human_ , love?

"You know?" She takes a step back.

"You reek of magic, _LyubImaya._ You might be young but immortality leaves a trail on you. Humans cannot feel it and if they can, they're too arrogant or ignorant to recognize it for what it is. But you possess that ability and if you wish to stay here, outside of your realm, you should learnt to do so. Your life may depend on it," Klaus says, his eyes fixed firmly on the woman before him.

"Oh." A blush has crept on her cheeks but she holds his gaze.

"Oh indeed." Prowling forward, he stands inches away from her lithe frame. Her scent is intoxicating, a hint of freshly cut grass and morning sunlight, paired with a tinge of moonflowers. It's an unique mixture, just like the creature in front of him. "What court have you fled from?"

"Why should I answer? I owe you nothing," she baulks.

"I'm just making a polite conversation, love," Klaus retorts innocently.

A scoff. "Something tells me you're as far from polite as one can be."

His lips stretch in a smile. _Clever girl_. "Touche. But it doesn't mean I'm dishonest in saying you intrigue me. As much as I intrigue you, I daresay."

It's obvious she still hesitates, her teeth in her lower lip while she ponders her answer. "Dawn Court," she finally admits. "But I did _not_ flee, I merely sought some solitude and...adventure. I wanted to see for myself what it is like out here."

He won't say it out loud but her answer...moves him. It's like an echo of someone he used to know. An echo of him. "Solar Courts -," he shakes his head, "Always so damn disciplined. No wonder you craved to escape that, love."

"For the last time - I did not escape! And will you kindly stop with the endearments? This will just not do."

She's just so lovely when she's flustered.

"How should I address you then, _golubushka?_ You gave me no name."

"My realm is governed by different rules. Name is not something to be given lightly. You didn't grant me yours. Why should I trust you?"

"Let me rectify that - Klaus," he says, offering his hand. "My name is Klaus." He encircles his fingers around her wrist and her skin brushes against his, prickling, burning, sending a jolt of awareness down his body. It's as if her magic settles between them, an ephemeral connection that should send him running but somehow, he's still here, still touching her, unable to turn his back on her. Lazily tracing patterns on the smooth skin, her pulse strong as blood flows through her veins, he fixes his gaze on her before whispering, "We're quite the same, you and I. You're looking for something here. Wandering from place to place, alone among all these fools unaware of your true nature. And I - "

"You're not whole," she finishes for him. "There is something missing in you and you desperately desire to get it back."

"What -," he growls, backing her into the tree, "did you say? What kind of witchcraft are you using on me, Fae?"

"None," she bits out, then closes her eyes and winnows out of his grip, materialising 10 feet to his left.

Klaus cannot help but be impressed, despite of his anger. He decides to give her space. For now. "Explain then. Answer me!" The demand leaves his mouth in a hiss.

"I just can feel it. The ache in your bones, the need in your eyes and this creature straining inside of you, wild and hungry and desperate to roam free. Her reply is breathless and she bites on her lip as she hesitates whether to go on. Her fiery gaze meets his burning one and there must be something she's seen in his eyes that balances the scale in his favour because after the seconds of long drawn-out silence, she speaks again. "I feel it just like I can sense it in myself." Backing away while he stands frozen in his spot, she steals one last glance at him and whispers, "That's all you get for now. Goodbye, Klaus."

He doesn't move long after she winnowed out. His skin still tingles with her touch and he can still smell her scent while her last words echo in his ears. The anger subsided, settled like dust after the battle and all that occupies his mind are two very distinct thoughts.

She didn't tell him her name.

But she did say _"for now."_

For now.

Klaus finds he rather likes her choice of words.

* * *

 _ **1896, Russia, Saint Petersburg**_

This time, she's Odile.

Klaus sits alone, all his siblings daggered and carefully stored away in a place no one will ever find them. It was getting progressively harder to keep Mikael off their tracks, with Kol's antics growing wilder and wilder and Rebekah's scandalous romances keeping them under the scrutiny of _le bon ton_.

And Elijah, dear moral Elijah, stood against him.

A few more years and maybe they will have learnt their lesson.

He's not entirely sure why he felt so...compelled to come here this evening, why he travelled all the way from the Balkans to see her tonight. He's thought about her more times than he'd care to admit throughout the years, brave little dancer who refused to tell him her name. With the resources and minions he's gathered over the years, it wasn't a particularly difficult task to track her down. Besides, she's become quite the acclaimed ballerina over the course of the last few years, the latest talk of the parlour being that Tchaikovsky rewrote parts of "Swan Lake" and changed _pas de deux_ especially for her before he died.

The Mariinsky Theatre is almost full, the seductive dance of the Black Swan keeping spectators on the edges of their seats. The silence is prominent as they watch her through all the _pas de basque, assemblé_ and _tour lent,_ only to let out a soft collective gasp when she completes an exceptionally complicated move. Just as all these years ago, Klaus finds himself enthralled completely, lost in the enchanting choreography of her limbs.

Her moves are no less perfect and yet, somehow, different. She's different.

She plays the seduction flawlessly - no - she _is_ the seduction. A temptress, lady of the night, a nymph of the lake. Her control is impeccable - she reigns over her every little muscle and ligaments and the curve of her spine. But there's also a certain bite to her steps and that mysterious, almost ominous, half-smile on her lips. Wildness flickers in the ocean blue of her eyes, wildness that hasn't been there before. At first sight, she may seem controlled and calculating and cold but there is a fire burning underneath her skin, flames crackling in her bones.

The orchestra speeds up and suddenly, her moves change and she becomes unhinged, free, all chaos and unstoppable force as she chases the crescendo of the music. The crowd is hypnotized and Klaus can feel their longing and lust, is fairly positive she can sense them too, given how her eyes light up with triumph, her luscious lips curved in the most subtle satisfied smile.

Lady of the Dawn, refusing to let go of the night and leave the shadows behind.

It might just be the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

He understands it, that need for control and the katharis that can be found in letting go. She relishes in the music and dance and human desire just like he delights in fear and blood. And Klaus cannot help but wonder at this new side of her, amazed by the possibilities of her exploring what the world has to offer.

What _he_ has to offer.

They spent act III playing the game of cat and mouse with their glances. And there are no losers nor winners, the playing field levelled between two worthy opponents who refuse to yield even an inch and yet -

Klaus knows exactly how this night will end.

* * *

He waits for her in the shadows.

In the room she rents by the Neva river, he sits with flowers in his hand.

The door opens but there's no gaps of surprise, as if she was expecting him to be here. The air between them prickles, sparks with electricity like the atmosphere before the violent summer storm. Holding his gaze, she shuts the door and loses both her fur hat and a heavy coat. Goosebumps cover her skin - the room is freezing and she's still wearing her costume.

 _She must have been in a hurry to leave._

"Klaus," she whispers and his name sounds so right on her lips, making the beast in him purr in delight.

"You were _exquisite_ tonight, _LyubImaya."_

A ghost of a smile plays on her lips, her tongue darting out to sweep over her mouth. With slow deliberate moves, she unpins her hair, the blonde curls cascading down her back and her eyes - her eyes never leave his.

"Will you tell me your name this time around?" The question falls off his lips before he can stop it.

Her answer is almost immediate, darkness seeping into her tone and muscles flexing under the burn of his gaze. "Not tonight." She turns around, sweeping her hair to the side and exposing her neck. "Will you help me? I cannot quite reach all the buttons."

Klaus bites back his harsh response as disappointment bites at his insides. This is what she has to offer this time around. So be it. He's immortal - he can play the long game, however _long_ it takes.

His breath is hot on that lovely neck of hers and he needs to restrain himself from taking a bite - hopefully not for long. Moonlight shines down her spine as he works the buttons, one by one, revealing more and more of her ivory skin.

The black dress pools around her feet and she steps out of it, then pivots on her feet in a swift move that lands her in his arms. Quickly peeling off his clothes, she pushes him towards her tiny narrow bed.

It doesn't survive the night. It breaks under them the moment she cries out his name. They stay on the floor, her body draped tightly over his, pieces of furniture scattered around. She tells him of her court, of her mother the Queen, of the sweetness that first light of the dawn leaves on the skin.

In the cold of the morning, their entwined bodies keep the warmth.

* * *

 _ **Intermission**_

It must be well into the morning when he wakes up and he berates himself for staying this long.

He hasn't slept like this in a really long time.

It's unprecedented, how worn out he feels, even with his supernatural stamina and the taste of her blood still a distinct flavour on his tongue.

She sits by the window, clad only in his shirt, with her hair messy and her skin marred with red marks, from his mouth and fingers and teeth. There is this calmness about her now; a clear day after the storm, cold winter air and shy sun, steel sliding against the ice as people skate on the frozen river.

As is sensing that he's looking at her, she tilts her head to where he's sprawled on the floor. Running her tongue along her sharp little teeth, she weighs her words before asking, "Have you found what you were looking for? What was missing?"

A sigh escapes from his lungs. "No."

"Me neither." Her gaze rests on the view from her window again.

Silence. Silence can be so loud sometimes.

Maybe it's only minutes that pass or maybe it's half the day, Klaus cannot really tell, blind to play of the sun and shadows on the walls, blind to anything but her.

And then…

Then, in this one blissful moment of eternity, she finally speaks again.

"Caroline," she croaks out. "My name is Caroline."

He mutters it under his breath, again and again - Caroline, Caroline, _Ca-ro-li-ne_ \- aloud and louder, trying it out, relishing the flavour it leaves on his lips.

It's like it propels her back into his embrace and they go from teeth and bites and hard and fast to lips and kisses and slow and deep.

And this time around when he moans, he moans her real name.

* * *

 _ **Present time, Austria, Vienna**_

It was a bone-deep ache haunting him that has brought him here.

He feels whole now, two halves merged into one, his curse broken and his father killed while his siblings rule over New Orleans in his stead.

And yet, his marrow churns in longing - not like something's missing but rather a thirst that needs to be quenched, a hungry beast that needs to be fed.

Vienna State Opera is filled to the last seat, the famous Bolshoi Ballet attracting overwhelming crowds.

She's dancing both parts this time.

Odette and Odile. The White Swan _and_ The Black.

 _Caroline_.

Her steps are light, her steps are hard, and she's control and chaos and day and night all at once.

She is the dawn, dancing on the verge of night and day.

She is both.

* * *

She waits for him under the warm spring sun.

Klaus wakes and she's there, lounging on the balcony of his penthouse.

"Finally," she says when he joins her, "You sleep awfully long for a vampire."

Klaus grumbles under his nose, then thinks better than to explain that he only sleeps that much in her presence. "For a hybrid," he only decides to remind her.

"A hybrid." Caroline beams. "You know-," she trails off, her body tensing, "I've grown quite bored with this realm. At least for a while. I think...I think it's time for me to go back home. Stake a claim to my throne."

His jaw is clenched. His hands fold into two tight fists. "Right."

Her eyes wandering over the view of the city below them, Caroline nervously taps her nails against the railing. "Will you come with me?" She turns around to meet his gaze, notices how tense his body is. Understanding flashes through her eyes. "I really could use some company, you know. It's no fun to dance on my own anymore."

He doesn't fight his smile. "I happen to be an excellent dance partner, love. Wouldn't want to deprave you of the pleasure of my company. Or skills." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

Caroline's still laughing when he snakes his arms around her and buries his nose in her hair. It's a familiar scent by now, moonflowers and freshly cut grass drying under the morning sunlight and -

And him.

His wolf roars as Klaus molds himself more tightly around her.

He can tell there's a hint of a smile blooming on her face.

They stay like this for a while, overlooking the city as it bursts to life, a calm interlude between the grand solo and _pas de deux_.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and as always, I encourage you to tell me what you think :) Did you like the twist of Caroline being a Fae? What about her development through the story (or maybe there was none and I failed *sad face*) ? Any favourite/least favourite moment?**

 **Also, here's a little dictionary of Russian endearments: " _golubushka_ " means "little dove" and " _LyubImaya"_ means "darling" or "sweetheart". _  
_**

**Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	14. A Taste You Left In My Mouth

**AN: Hello there, guys! Thank you for your lovely comments on my ballerina!Caroline drabble, I just love reading your thoughts :)**

 **This time I tried writing pre-canon fic, I hope you like it! It was written for the uber talented Joey-Prue (check out her edits on tumblr!) for Klaroline Valentines Gift Exchange.**

 **Human!Caroline travels to Italy with Bill and Steven as an early present for her 18th birthday. Guess who she's running into…**

 **Hint - Original Family is having a little R &R in their Tuscan vineyard. Klaus doesn't know yet that the next doppelganger lives in Mystic Falls.**

 **I'm mixing it up a little with canon and timeline, meaning Klaus broke his curse in XV (and killed Mikael somewhere along the way as well) and Caroline hasn't become a vampire after the car accident.**

* * *

 _ **August 2010, Italy, Tuscany**_

Caroline feels a little bored.

It's not that she doesn't like the warm waves of the Mediterranean Sea, the semi-sweet taste of wine on her lips or the admiring glances men throw her way as she's sunbathing on the beach.

She does.

But this doesn't change the fact this whole family vacation thing (and how can it be a "family" thing without mom?) is her father's latest attempt at apology. Not for coming out and causing a scandal of a magnitude Mystic Falls hasn't witnessed in quite some time. No, Caroline might be considered stupid and shallow by many people back home but she would never want her dad, her parents, her family to live a lie.

It's for packing his bags and leaving her behind. For one phone call a month and one visit a year, four weeks each summer. For not knowing her _at all_.

For forgetting about her.

Even now, they seem to drift away so naturally, as he's off visiting a local olive grove with Steven, off having a romantic dinner with Steven, off doing seventeen different things with Steven, things that _couldn't possibly_ interest Caroline.

And it's not that she doesn't like Steven, in fact, she adores him, his easy smile and warm eyes that light up whenever her dad enters the room. But for once, just freaking once, she wishes something her father did was about _her_. Not a mere alleviation of guilt to make himself feel better as he merrily goes on ignoring her existence.

With a sigh, she looks at her phone and turns over to lie on her stomach, exposing her back to the rays of mid-afternoon sun.

The least she can get from this trip is an even, nice shade of tan.

One more glance at her cell reveals exactly no new notifications on any of her social media, besides a few comments under her latest photo, like Bonnie wishing her a great time and some fake compliments from her cheer squad. Not that she's expected anything more, really, with Matt and her having just broken up and Elena most likely busy deciding which Salvatore brother should be her flavour of a month.

As a mere mortal, she should probably just come to terms with the fact her problems could never compare to those of _poor Elena_.

 _Way to spend your holidays bitter, Caroline. Because that's not shallow at all._

No. She won't. She won't waste her time here on these pointless thoughts.

Looking around for some inspiration, she catches a glimpse of a poster pasted on the beach bar nearby.

 _Bingo_.

With a newfound determination, she springs to her feet and jumps into her mini sundress, but not before meticulously dusting herself from all the sand. Gathering her things, she heads to the bungalow they rent, her steps light and enthusiastic.

It's high time to bless this town a full-on Caroline Forbes treatment.

* * *

He's been watching her for some time now.

Having stormed out of the villa (there was only so much Kol he could take), Klaus was set on getting a bit of a snack among the swarm of tourists flooding the town for the local food and wine festival. Covered in the shadows of a narrow alley between the buildings, he was about to bite into the jugular of quite a tasty-looking brunette when a loud commandeering voice caught his attention. Glancing up, he let his gaze wander around the town square, searching as his fangs pierced the skin of his victim, warm blood covering his tongue - so delicious when mixed with fear coming off the man in waves. His eyes finally caught a glimpse of blonde curls caressed by sun, then noted the lovely curve of a neck, a distinct line of her clavicles, the edge of her dress teasingly flicking against the skin of her splendid thighs.

She looked delicious.

Feeling the life slowly drain from the man he was feeding on, Klaus retracted his fangs and compelled him to forget what had just happened. Normally, he wouldn't bother with letting his meal go but this time the blood and fear would suffice.

 _If the body was to be discovered, it could shorten his time with the blonde, after all,_ he reasoned, sweeping the remnants of blood from his mouth and licking off his fingers, then heading out into the sun and towards the girl.

* * *

He hasn't let his eyes stray from her.

Hiding in plain sight with stealth very few possess, he stays in her proximity, listening in on her conversations and studying the expressions flashing through her features. The flexing of her muscles. The unwavering sound of her voice.

She should be just another irritating teenage girl.

But the first glance at something is not always the most accurate one and his gut tells him that beyond the surface, she is anything but.

"Look, it's not that I want to tell you how to do your job but if you were at least a little competent, I just wouldn't have to, right? Now go and relocate the vendors according to the chart I gave you two freaking days ago, okay?" She dismisses the poor bloke who happens to be the the festival's planner with a flick of her hand, then calls over a group of young women hovering nearby. "This is what each stall should look like-," she says, handing each of them a piece of paper, "-make sure all of them meet these requirements. I will make my rounds later on to double-check everything anyway but it's no reason for you to not be as thorough as possible." Her smile is sweet, saccharine even, and Klaus chuckles softly in understanding.

Good minions are so difficult to come by, after all.

"Can I help you?" The sharpness of her voice grazes his skin and he wants to purr in delight. Taking a step in her direction, he schools his features into that of polite curiosity and innocence.

He _is_ capable of looking innocent when he wants to.

"Yes, you! You've been practically breathing down my neck for the last 30 minutes. It's creepy," she bites out, clearly not falling for his act.

It _might_ be _a tad_ impressive.

"I was merely admiring your organizational skills, love," Klaus says, letting his lips curve upwards.

The girl rolls her eyes in response. "Bullshit. Look, I'm kind of busy here. So state your business or go away. And tune down the dimples. Seriously." Comes her impatient reply, a delicate blush creeping up on her cheeks. Her gaze darts back to the papers in her grip as she ticks the boxes on her list.

He takes in an unnecessary breath. He clenches his hands into fists. He takes a step forward, parting his mouth, ready to spit the venom-laced words.

No one - _no one_ \- is allowed to talk to him like this.

He holds her gaze – it would be so easy to compel her, to make her feel what he wants her to feel, steering her actions like a puppet master pulls just at the right strings – but decides that it'd be royally boring to go down this path. And if there's something Klaus particularly appreciates, it's a good challenge.

Anybody else and he would rip their head off, witnesses or not, but with her, with that fierceness pursing the line of her lovely lips and anger tinging her eyes dark, he just cannot bring himself to do it.

Perhaps it's a mere curiosity or perhaps it's the exhilaration that he feels when she speaks, a rush of blood that prickles just under his skin but for now – she lives.

"As a matter of fact, I do have a proposition for you, love," he says, drawing out the words with an audible lilt, determined to lure her in.

She looks him over, from head to toe, yet her eyes remain cold, withdrawn as she counters, "Not interested." It seems like she's in control of her features, a cool mask of indifference worn by a high school Queen B. And yet -

There's that blush again. Staining the ivory skin of her neck, meshing with the peach shade of her cheeks. She must be more interested than she's letting on.

"Are you, now? What if I told you it's a summer job I'm offering?" Klaus coaxes further, eyebrow tipping up in a challenge.

Her eyes are like a prism glimmering with a range of emotions that she can't hold back and now he knows for sure that he's managed to pique her interest.

"I'm listening."

Tucking his victorious smile into the corner of his mouth, a slight crease of skin the only sign of his glee, Klaus goes into detail of his offer. "You see, my family has this vineyard…" he starts, revealing as much as he needs of his family so as not to sound suspicious - but not much else.

She listens carefully and - inevitably - agrees and they shake hands, his palm against hers, so soft and warm that Klaus cannot refrain from running his thumb along her knuckles, and he can hear a little hitch in her breath and feel a shiver that courses down her body.

"I'm Klaus," he introduces himself, watches her mouth part slightly, his name a cautious whisper as she tries it out.

"Caroline," she shots back and he savours it, flicking his tongue along his lower lip as if he could lick at the aftertaste it's left there.

 _Pretty little Caroline._

His wolf howls to life, intoxicated by the feeling it hasn't felt for a very long time.

The thrill of the chase.

* * *

He never hears the end of it from his siblings.

He would dagger them all if it weren't for Elijah hiding all his daggers. Once he comes back from his Brazilian voyeurs with that pesky doppelganger, Klaus will be the one to never let him hear the end of his complaints.

Although Katerina making him dance salsa and pour cachaça down his throat from dusk till dawn might be just enough of a punishment for his stuffy older brother.

"Let me get this straight - you hired a _teenager_ to help manage the vineyard?" Kol's mocking tone slices through the silence in his study, his pest of a brother intruding on his solitude yet again since finding out this particular piece of news. "Was your charm not enough to tempt her, Nik? How tragic."

 _Bloody hell._ He'll dagger Elijah and the rest of them, it's been decided.

"Piss off before I tear your head off, Kol."

A low amused whistle. "Someone's touchy."

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Klaus puts down the brush and turns to his brother, mindful to block the easel from Kol's view - he doesn't need more teasing about _who_ he's painting. "We need help with the vineyard and she seems perfectly capable. That's it. I don't need to explain myself to you," he states, pinching his nose.

Kol's answer comes with an outburst of laughter. "Nice try, Nik! Need I remind you how filthy rich we are? We can drain this place of all the wine and never sell a bottle and it won't make a dent in our cash reserve."

Inwardly, Klaus cannot help but agree with this sentiment. After centuries of accumulating wealth, there's not much that can endanger their fortune and pesky human conventions like taxes are nothing a little compulsion can't fix. But he'd rather stake himself than admit it to Kol. Instead, he says, "And need I remind you, _little brother_ , that while we might be filthy rich, as you've put it, we still need at least some of our businesses to keep the money coming. Steadily."

Kol just grins wider at that, looking at him in delighted disbelief. "This is just too good. You have a crush on a human teenage girl! Oh, just wait till Rebekah hears about it, I swear - "

A loud crack reverberates against the room as Klaus vamp-speeds to his brother and snaps his neck, a lifeless body slumping to the floor. Stepping over the temporary corpse, he heads outside, hoping a run in his wolf form will help him clear his head.

Hiring Caroline was an impulse and he doesn't act on impulse (yes, _he does_ ). He can't find an answer for why he didn't just lure her into the nearest alley and drain her from all her blood. It would be so easy and thrilling at the same time and there was a moment when he felt his fangs ache at the promise of her taste but then -

Then she looked at him with those ocean blue eyes, a storm of determination and drive and longing and something else that tugged at that one hidden string inside of him and now Klaus finds that it will be so much more thrilling to peel off her layers, slowly, one by one, before getting a taste. And it might've been an impulse but now he plans how to play this game because he wants, he wants -

 _Her_.

* * *

It's been an impulsive decision.

Saying yes to Klaus.

Caroline's not really sure why she did it when she was doing her best to ignore his crimson lips and that sexy accent.

And don't even get her started on the frigging _dimples_.

Her parents used to tell her, again and again, how her natural curiosity would get her into trouble someday. That she should always keep in mind what a dangerous place the world can be. Well...That might turn out to be true but right now Caroline's too excited about this new project to care.

It is a _project_ she's most excited about, of course.

* * *

She's interfering with _everything_.

Caroline's seemed to forget that he only hired her to manage the vineyard and has set her sights on turning their entire household upside down, butting heads with Rebekah in the process.

She's reshuffled schedule for their whole stuff so that everyone has at least one day a week off, merely saying ' _that's not how we do it in America_ ' when noticing his glare.

She's locked them out of the wine cellars, claiming they'll never make a profit if they keep drinking up all of their produce.

She's invaded his study and rearranged his paintings in order, according to categories of style, worth and colouring.

A blush of deep crimson that adorned her face when she discovered a few drawings and a painting of her was all the retribution Klaus got for this particular offence.

Yet strangely, he doesn't regret his decision one bit. Their verbal sparring shackles the villa and he has to endure Kol's insufferable jokes about them bickering like an old married couple. Rebekah tests his patience with her whining daily - but at least she's stopped with the death threats after his enraged response to the first one she's made against Caroline.

With her inquiring mind and curiosity, it's a miracle she hasn't found out their secret yet, with a corpse or two being cleaned out from Kol's room weekly and Klaus' own tendency for rage blood-binging.

He's fascinated by that mind of hers, how it works, what makes her tick - she's a teenage girl on vacation but she spends her days working, turning their vineyard into a well-oiled machine in a span of two weeks. She's confident but gets flustered when he shows interest in her life and hopes and dreams, she's neurotic but it doesn't lessen her charm, she's kind but doesn't tolerate mistakes.

Naturally, he does a background check on her - by himself, not trusting any of his minions to do it, unwilling to let anyone know of the depth of his interest in the young blonde.

It's chilling to find out she's from Mystic Falls, a fact too grand to be merely a coincidence. Klaus doesn't believe in coincidences. And when he decides to observe her even closer, that's the only reason for it - or so he tells himself.

The rest of information paints an equally interesting picture.

Miss Mystic Falls. Cheerleading captain. Head of the numerous committees. Divorced parents.

Klaus knows there's an intriguing little story behind all of this but he wants to hear it from Caroline.

Almost as much as he wants to hear her scream his name.

* * *

She's busy cataloguing their best vintages when he finds her, his fit lean body propped against the doorframe, a bottle of wine in his hand.

He tilts his head, watching her with a gaze so focused it feels like her skin is on fire. "Hello, Caroline," he says and she feels heat pulling in her lower belly at the sound of his raspy voice.

"Klaus." She nods, hoping her lack of enthusiasm will steer him away.

Except she's also kind of hoping that he will stay.

He bounces off the wall and moves forward, his presence filling the room in a way that makes it hard for Caroline to breathe. There's just something about Klaus, how he walks like a predator and speaks in a tone that demands full attention. He's a magnetic force she's trying very hard to fight.

Except she's not. Not really.

"Since you're making an inventory of our wine, love, I thought a taste of our best vintage is in order." The words leave his mouth in an alluring rasp as he puts the bottle on the wine barrel and produces two glasses out of the cabinet in the corner of the cellar.

"And I thought I told you what I think of endearments."

"Completely unprofessional - if I recall correctly. Come now, _Caroline_ , you've locked yourself out here for the entire morning, you deserve a little break," he says, a hint of glee in his eyes and dimples cutting into his cheeks.

Those dimples - she was _so not_ immune to them.

Pretending to read through her notes, Caroline weighs her options. She _knows_ Klaus is dangerous, even if his appearance suggests otherwise. But ironically, she doesn't think she's ever felt safer than here with him, caressed by the warmth of Tuscan sun and his gaze that seems to follow her everywhere, whatever she does. He might seem irritated by her interferences sometimes but in the end, he's given her a free hand, clearly interested in what else she'll come up with. It's like he really knows her - or takes time to get to know her and to pay attention, something she's certainly not accustomed to.

Her friends back home continue with radio-silence. So does her mother. Her dad and Steven see her leave the hotel for whole days and don't question it. They're just relieved the trouble is off their backs.

The words fall off her tongue before she can stop them, "Fine."

"Your enthusiasm is warming my heart, sweetheart."

"I'm not here to warm your anything, _sweetheart_."

Klaus chuckles at her retort, the sound rich and vibrant, making her lips twitch into a ghost of a smile as well. "Touché." Opening the bottle, he trains his eyes on her as she walks over to the makeshift barrel-table, then playfully smacks her hand away when she makes a move to fill their glasses. "Don't be hasty, love. It needs to breathe for a while."

There's a subtle flutter in her stomach at the touch and Caroline flexes her hand, as if she could get rid of the imprint left by his fingers the same way she does with a knot in her neck. She lets out a small grunt, asks the first thing that comes to her mind, "So what are we drinking exactly?"

"Morellino. 1911. A remarkable vintage."

"And what's so special about it?"

"Well- " Klaus trails off, pouring some of the beverage into their empty glasses, "- look at the colour, love."

She does just that, letting out a disappointed sigh. "It is a bit too pale for a red wine? A bit...dull."

Klaus smiles knowingly under his nose, stirs the glass and raises it towards the dim light in the ceiling, motions for her to do the same. "And now?

Squinting her eyes, she focuses on the liquid, a short gasp escaping her throat. "It...got darker. With deep reds and crimsons and clarets. It's beautiful."

"It is." His whisper brushes against her ear and her eyes skip to Klaus immediately, and he's only inches away, looking at _her_ , his gaze fixed on _her_ lips. "Now taste it," he demands in a low hoarse voice and drinks from his glass.

Hypnotized, Caroline follows his lead, her mouth flooded with rich, fruity flavour as she sneaks a glance at Klaus, mesmerized with his raspberry lips stained with wine, his tongue darting out to lick the remnants of taste. The room feels heavy with silence and she can hear the frantic beat of her own heart thumping in her ears. It's a flicker of movement but it seems he's inched closer to her, only to back away momentarily as if he's changed his mind about something.

The sound of Klaus clearing his throat cuts through the silence and the moment's gone. "What did you taste?"

It takes her a minute to find her voice. "Uhm...At first it was bland, just like with the colour, but then it turns a little sharp and tart, and then - "

"Then - " Klaus cuts in, "it smooths into something rich and vibrant and dark." He holds her gaze as he goes on, "It will never be mellow, or pleasant, or mild. But it's an essence that floods your taste buds and lingers on your tongue, that makes you close your eyes and savour the feeling it leaves as it coats your lips." His fingers brush against the loose strand of hair on her forehead and he tucks it behind her ear, then skims along the curve of her lobe, a move that draws a soft moan out of her mouth. "It's a taste that stays with you for a very long time. Haunts you until nothing else can quench the thirst."

Her lungs constrict and breath gets stuck in her throat, but Caroline doesn't fight for air, she just wonders -

How can a man that knows her for a short nick of her life sink so deep into her most secret thoughts and fears, proclaiming a truth she's always wanted to know about herself, such calm demeanour for something so profound.

She's not entirely sure but it must be her who jerks forward first and then Klaus' lips are on neck, his tongue laving a path up - up - up to her chin, sharp teeth grazing her jaw and her fingers lace through the dirty blond curls, tugging and pulling, so that his mouth finally collides with hers. They knock over the wine barrel, glass shattering on the hard stone floor just like Caroline shatters in his arms.

Klaus pins her to the wall, his hand gripping her thigh and pulling her leg against his hipbone, and he presses himself into her, the hardening line of his cock against her throbbing core, his lips descending to her collarbone as he sucks a small patch of skin into his mouth. She whimpers, rolling her hips almost subconsciously as she seeks more friction and her hands are busy roaming up and down his back, and she curses the shirt he's wearing because she just wants his bare skin against her touch. She's finally focused enough to inch away and get rid of it when Klaus bites into one of her most sensitive spots, her eyes clenching shut and she cannot - does not want to - stop his name rolling off her tongue.

 _Klaus_.

It happens so fast - suddenly his warmth is gone, and she's burning where he's kissed her, too hot for the cold of the cellar that settles on her skin. Her ragged breathing is the only sound in the room and Caroline knows that when she opens her eyes, Klaus won't be there.

A pang of disappointment still twists her insides when she finally does.

And he's nowhere to be found.

* * *

" _I loathe this girl but you have to tell her, Nik."_ \- Rebekah's words still ring in his ears when Klaus knocks on the door of a rented bungalow.

His sister can be annoyingly right sometimes.

He lost control yesterday, biting Caroline just a tad too hard and when an overwhelming taste of her blood hit his tongue, he knew he wouldn't be able to withhold his true nature from her.

Truly embarrassing, how he's reverted to a horny teenager all because of a _human girl._

Even one as remarkable as Caroline.

No one answers and dread sinks low in his stomach, a feeling that something is terribly wrong.

It's an instinct that saved his family many times in the centuries.

Steps light and soft, Klaus enters and takes in the surroundings, anger roiling inside of him as he goes from room to room and finds them all empty.

 _She's left._

He knocks over the table.

 _She's gone._

He yanks the door off its hinges.

 _She has run away from him._

Smirk twists his lips as Klaus takes a look around the devastated room. Caroline might think she can just leave him and never say a word but he knows where she lives. He can know everything about her.

There's no escaping him.

All he needs is a new plan.

* * *

At least she got a window seat.

Caroline didn't even have time to ponder _the kiss_ when she got back from the Mikaelsons last night. She was welcomed with the sight of her father and Steven frantically moving around the bungalow, throwing their stuff in the suitcase in a manner that offended Caroline on a spiritual level.

She definitely wouldn't call it packing.

She yelled and insisted but they would offer her no explanations for their sudden departure.

 _Pack your things, Caroline. Ask no questions, Caroline. I will explain later, now's not the time, Caroline.  
_

She didn't even have time to say goodbye.

Perhaps it's for the best though. Vacation flings aren't meant to last. Even if for some reason, it seems so wrong to think of what she had with Klaus as a fling.

 _What a foolish thought - they didn't really have anything at all._

And yet, as she runs her tongue along her teeth and the roof of her mouth, Caroline finds herself thinking of Morellino - and Klaus.

It seems some tastes can really linger for a really long time.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading! So what did you think of this? Do you like this take on pre-canon? What did you think of "my" human!Caroline? Any fav/least favourite scenes/moments? Please let me know, it's te only way I can improve and work on my craft :)**

 **Also, you should totally check out all the other Klaroline Valentines fics, there were so many amazing works!**

 **On a less pleasant note, some of you probably already know this but I - as well as some other klaroline writers - have been plagiarized by someone going by penname "a. ". They basicaly copypasted one of my mini drabbles from this collection (the first one in chapter 7, Future Canon Things) and replaced Klaus with Stefan (yuck!). They named it "Blonde and the Kittens". Same with the other authors. So far there has been zero response to our reviews/messages to take these stories down.**

 **If you have some time, please go report them - I would really appreciate it :) I'm sure you can imagine how hurtful this is to me and all the other plagiarized authors. It would really mean a lot!**

 **Thank you once again and until next time,**

 **Kate**


	15. Silhouettes

**AN: Hello guys! How have you been? I've missed you :)**

 **I'm back with a drabble and a fair warning, this one is angsty. Actually, it's my first time writing something truly angsty (as in, no happy ending) and I'm hella stressed! So this one happened when I was talking with my friends about how some people want Caroline to turn human for Stefan (bleh). And how basically, if it was Klaus who turned human, he would NEVER want Caroline to turn human for him. So this is what I think would happen.**

 **Warning: major character death.**

 **The scene with the lake was inspired by a conversation with klarolinestan. Saif-ul-Malook is situated in Pakistan and is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen (even if it was only on photographs). The line about "witnessing the glory of the God" and the tale about prince and princess of the lake is inspired by poem by Mian Muhammad Bakhsh and the legend surrounding the lake.**

 **Now, without further ado -**

* * *

He's never felt more filthy.

He wants to scream, to claw at the skin - _his_ skin - on this body he's trapped in.

All these years he's spent with the human flesh between his teeth and the sweet aftertaste lingering on his tongue. And blood would rush - rush - rush to his head as he stained his throat red.

A crimson glory. Terror and gore. The deathless king.

The irony could probably knock him off his weak human feet.

It's so...peculiar, to feel the weight of time on his shoulders again, and Klaus only knows one thing -

He _loathes_ it.

How bloody wrong it all feels. The air is too fresh, the sun shines too brightly and he fucking _tires_ when he tries to walk and speak at the same time.

How strange it seems to him, after ages of superiority, to find that this sack of bones and muscles he's trapped in sweats and hurts.

How aggravating it is to endure this ache that has set deep in his bones and the churning in his stomach. What a betrayal it is when his lungs burn as he gasps for air.

 _Pathetic_. Something he sworn a millennium ago that he would never be again.

His heart pumps harder, faster, with a human desperation that makes him sick to his bones. The blood that used to be so exhilarating now flows like a poison through his veins and they constrict, tightening like a rope around his neck, and something thumps - thumps - thumps in his ears and he can't -

There is no way out.

No way _out_.

No lucky escape, no second, third and fourth back-up plans, no one left to blackmail into submission, no magic loophole that could make him into what he was as he bled and wrecked himself, trying again and again, and then once more - to find a way.

But there's no way out.

After one thousand years, he's become a human again.

* * *

He can't stand the way they look at him. Elijah. Rebekah...Kol. It's too cautious, too _soft_ after the violence that used to run in his veins.

She's the only one different.

 _Caroline_.

She doesn't tiptoe around him and never coddles him, she remains her fierce glorious self.

There's only been this one time when her gaze turned softer and she allowed him to see the magnitude of her sorrow. Rage licked at his insides when she opened her mouth to speak and the words he loathed to hear seemed to rest on the tip of her tongue but then -

She hesitated - her teeth sinking into her lower lip - and he allowed himself to breathe again, his mouth fast to close on hers and stop her from saying what she would never mean.

Caroline would stay exactly as she was. For centuries to come. It was a foregone conclusion.

* * *

They decide to travel.

It will be a while before any of his enemies get wind of him being human again, and Klaus intends to use his time well.

His siblings escort them to the family's private jet on a windy Tuesday morning. Rebekah's hair sticks to her face, tears staining her cheeks. Kol is unusually quiet, his signature smirk dimmed as a kind of solemn calmness threatens to take over his features. Elijah's suit is marred with wrinkles as he carries Caroline's luggage.

There are no goodbyes, only the silent pleading in Bekah's eyes while Kol nods in understanding, saluting him as the jet takes off.

Always and forever.

 _Always_.

* * *

The rush of Tokyo makes his head spin almost as much as Caroline's kisses.

She takes his breath away again in a Japanese garden, the crimson on her lips in contrast to the delicate white petals of cherry trees that hide them as she drinks from an unsuspecting tourist.

It calls to Klaus, the sight of her fangs and a marvelous web of veins that looms under her eyes. He pins her to the tree, traces her lips with his tongue.

His gums ache but nothing happens.

She swallows his growl with a kiss.

* * *

They make it to Ireland just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

He teaches Caroline how to play darts, taking full advantage of a situation as he positions himself behind her and helps her adjust her aim. She shivers as he whispers sweet-nothings into her ear, not caring whether they have an audience or not for once.

 _They're just a couple on a holiday_ , he realizes, a wry smile on his lips.

With her head thrown back, Caroline giggles, her face radiant - but her expression falls slightly when she misses her mark.

Klaus decides then it'll be his mission to collect her every laugh. To trace the curve of her smile with his fingertips until it's burned in his memory.

He wants desperately... He wants -

The night is wild and long and he gets himself a tad sloshed - to a point where Caroline needs to half-carry him to their hotel. He sings all the dirty Irish songs that he knows as they cross the streets in the first light of the morning.

She still laughs when she puts him to bed.

' _Good'_ is his last conscious thought.

He wants her to smile every time she thinks of him.

* * *

The clear waters of Saif-ul-Malook lake simmer in the blue of her eyes.

It's like seeing it for the very first time. The mountains tower over them as the skyline flirts with the crystal water, and it makes him feel so small, this beauty so endless that it seems deadly and Klaus doesn't realize he's grasping for breath until he feels Caroline's hand closing over his.

They sit at the shore and she sinks into his chest as Klaus' arms envelop her from behind. The nightfall sets over the valley and the water shimmers with the light of the stars as he tells her a tale of a prince and a fairy princess, two lovers trying to escape the evil giant.

Caroline's face is etched in awe and he knows it reflects his own as they watch a nature's miracle come to life.

There's only starlight and darkness and the smell of her hair. His heart beating against her back and her teeth grazing his wrist.

He's never been a religious man but there's something spiritual about this warmth that fills his chest.

He's never been a poet but it truly seems like witnessing the glory of a God.

It's past midnight when Caroline springs to her feet, breaking him out of his reverie. There's a cheeky smile on her face when she nears the water, losing her clothes one by one.

She's sinful, naked in the moonlight.

"I dare you," she says with laughter colouring her voice, brows risen in a challenge.

The water must be freezing cold by now but Klaus doesn't care. He sheds his clothes and follows her until they're covered to their necks.

They dance, like the prince and princess from the tale, two silhouettes bathed in the moon and stars.

Trying to escape the inevitable.

* * *

Their adventure gets interrupted with a week-long break when Klaus gets ill.

He cannot help but be a bit grumpy as Caroline nurses him back to health from common cold.

* * *

They watch _Traviata_ in Teatro alla Scala.

Caroline reigns over the opera house as they sit in their private booth, dressed in the couture gown he's given her for her prom - drawing the attention of every male in her proximity.

"You do know that you don't need to stare down the whole theatre?" Her teasing whisper rings in his ear as he shoots daggers at the audience.

"Oh, but love, it's good to know I still have _it_ ," Klaus replies, a smirk of satisfaction spreading over his face when he sees people's gazes shying away.

Caroline's chuckle sounds hollow. Her eyes shine with unshed tears.

It's later that night when they finally fall.

* * *

Klaus enters the room and stops in his tracks, welcomed by the sight of Caroline reaching to unzip her dress.

"Don't," he whispers softly and she turns to him with a small gasp, lifting an eyebrow in a silent question.

Hands in his pockets, he leans against the door, devouring her with his eyes. "Don't undress yet." Comes his request - so unusual when he's always the first to rid her of her garments. "How ravishing you look in this dress. Let me look at you - just a little longer."

Breath catches in her throat and the brightness of her eyes dims as she holds his gaze.

And she looks so pretty when she cries.

It calls to him, that silent sorrow of hers, and he makes his way to her in a few swift strides. He once promised himself to collect her every laugh - and now his thumbs collect her tears as well.

Her cheeks are still wet when he takes her against the wall - hard and fast - again and then once more until he tires and cannot stand on his feet.

* * *

Their apartment in Paris is bathed in moonlight.

Two silhouettes on the wall dance their last frantic dance.

Caroline breathes in his breath, she bites into his skin, she gathers the sweat in the hollow of his throat with her tongue.

He moans and she savours each sound. His lips curl in a smile and she needs to kiss every single one off his mouth. He comes inside her and she clenches her muscles around him, trapping him in.

They fuck, like animals, hard and fast - oh, so fast - as if they could outrun time and steal more precious seconds from it.

They make love, with languid and slow and deliberate strokes.

They _linger._ Linger in that foolish human hope, old as the world itself - that the clock will suddenly reverse its course and give them more time.

But the first rays of sunlight tickle her skin as they go over the edge again.

There is no more time.

Their eyes meet and it seems like Caroline might look away, but he cradles her jaw in his palm. Gives her a short determined nod.

Her lips quiver when she disentangles herself from him and he puts his head on her lap. Klaus' pulse quickens and he loathes to admit he might be just a little bit -

 _No_.

He glances up at Caroline. She looks so lovely, her cheeks flushed, her blonde curls caressed by moonlight like that night at the lake.

He's relieved that she doesn't cry. "Do it, love."

Their gazes never waver from each other as she takes hold of his hand.

Picks it up to her mouth.

Plant a soft little kiss on his knuckles. Then another one on his wrist.

They gasp together when her fangs slowly sink in his flesh.

 _At least he'll always run in her veins._

And it's like something that happens outside of his body, that rush of blood, the lightness of limbs - a faint wave of pleasure where Caroline's fingers thread through his hair.

Klaus cannot help but smile, happy in some twisted, wicked way - because she's glorious, with red in her eyes and on her lips, with that violent hunger in her eyes - a predator he's always known she was meant to be. He's walking through darkness and light, his body is running both feverish and cold and he can't quite feel his lips anymore.

But he does feel the warmth of her hand on his cheek.

It's time.

It's time - it's time - it's time.

"Do you remember- " he croaks, his voice hoarse with death, "how I told you I intended to be your last love?"

"I do." A quick hollow sob escapes her throat before she contains it and turns her voice into steel when she adds, "You are."

Caroline. _His Caroline_ , he thinks and the thought makes him content. Perhaps it's not the worst way to die - with contentment.

Still, he wills himself to speak with the last ounce of his strength, "No."

 _No. No. No._ The word echoes in his mind.

"But you are mine."

* * *

 **AN: *nervous pacing***

 **Thank you for reading! Please tell me what you think :) To be honest, I cried like a baby when I wrote parts of this but it's something that sat on my chest for a while - and I'm happy to finally be able to get it out. Of course I realize that Klaus is a survivor - but this is the case when all fails and there's no hope that he will ever be immortal again. In such a scenario, I truly think he would prefer to die than to grow old - and let Caroline watch him as he grows old. But please free to tell me what are your thoughts on this :)**

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


	16. This Feels Like

**AN: Hello, darlings! I know it's been a while but I'm back with a little snippet - in celebration of all the amazing news we've had lately! Klaroline is coming ya'll!**

 **This one is a mix of two prompts from "fictional kiss" meme:**

 _ **"routine kisses where the other person presents their cheek/forehead for the hello/goodbye kiss without even looking up from what they're doing"**_

 _ **"hands on the other person's back, fingertips pressing under their top, drawing gentle circles against that small strip of bare skin that make them break the kiss with a gasp "**_

 **Post around s6 of TVD and no magical babies bc that's the only way I roll xD**

 **Hope you like it ;)**

* * *

This time, it's Tuesday.

Caroline moves around the studio, her gaze wandering around, trying to locate all the garments she's missing. Her hair is a mess and she lets out an impatient huff when it all falls over her face as she tries to retrieve her top from under the sofa.

Klaus smirks when he hears her curse, still keeping his focus on the painting he's working on.

Perhaps he needs to add just a touch of red to make her lingerie the exact shade of crimson he's going for, the one that reminds him of his dried up blood around her lips.

His fingers clench tighter around the brush as he remembers the heat of her skin, as he recalls her spicy taste on his tongue -

A growl of frustration falls from his mouth as the brush skids over the line, leaving a tiny red splatter on the canvas.

"Serves you right for painting me in my sleep," Caroline says from behind him, slightly out of breath as she nearly crawls the floor, looking for something.

Klaus merely smiles under his nose. Caroline complaining about him painting her? Trying to draw his (and her) attention from the fact she's just spent yet another night late morning afternoon in his arms?

It's all part of their routine since she's moved to NOLA with that pest Enzo eight months ago.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the flimsy deep red bra, caresses the delicate lace with the tip of his finger as if he stroked the swell of her breast.

Caroline's voice is hoarse when she demands, "Give me that." She wastes no time snatching the undergarment from his hands. "This ends now," she says, hastily pushing the bra under her top.

Klaus hums in response, continuing with the painting.

Caroline scrunches her nose at his placating tone. "I'm serious." She twists her arms at the weirdest angles to pull the straps in the right position.

"Uhm." Klaus reaches for another shade of paint now. A sunny yellow.

"This was the _last_ time, Klaus. The last time!" She dives under the table to get her purse.

This time, Klaus offers her silence, too busy contemplating which detail to work on next. But he can feel the burn of her gaze on his back, the frustration coming off her in waves.

"Ugh," Caroline scoffs after a brief moment of fidgeting. "See you never, Klaus," she blurts out and heads to the door, stopping - as always - by him when Klaus cranes his neck and offers her his cheek.

The touch of her lips is brief but warm.

And then she's out of the door and he counts - one, two, three - until he hears another groan escape Caroline's throat when she realizes what's she's just done.

Pecked him on the cheek to say goodbye, like old married couples do.

"See you around, sweetheart!" he yells after her.

He can't wait for his Wednesday kiss.

* * *

This time, it's Friday.

This time, they even made it to his bed the night before.

And unlike with their usual routine, Klaus wakes up to Caroline sleeping soundly in his arms, not to her angry incoherent muttering as she collects her clothes from all over the room.

 _Their night together must've really worn her out_ , he thinks with a satisfied grin.

There's something so…peaceful, in the way Caroline's draped all over his body, something so beautifully casual in the way her hair tingle his jaw, how her cheek warms his chest.

The only detail spoiling this…almost idyllic picture is the top Caroline must've put on sometime after he fell asleep.

His gaze trained on the offensive piece of clothing, Klaus trails his hands down Caroline's sides, admiring the curves of her body with his touch, despite the barrier. With his fingers, he slightly pulls the top up, then presses his hands to the small of her back.

His bedroom fills with the sound of Caroline's sleepy mumbling, which he adores, and soon, her eyes meet his, which makes him hope.

She hasn't rushed out of here yet.

"Klaus." His name is a hoarse whisper, a note of surprise in her voice, as if she hasn't expected to find herself in this position either.

But it's a position he'd really like her to stay in.

"Good morning, love," he says against her lips, just before leaning in to kiss her.

Sensing her hesitation, he stills his motions for a moment and then it's Caroline who's kissing him, patiently exploring every little crease on his mouth with her tongue, her pace lazy but her moves thorough. With renewed resolve, his hands continue their ministrations on her back.

Caroline's skin is soft and smooth - almost so, he discovers when his fingertips come in contact with what can only be a little mole a few inches over the base of her spine. Fascinated, he circles it with his finger, enjoying how she presses more firmly against him and how their lips stay pressed together as well.

It's distracting, the feel of her body flush against him, and soon, the circles he draws grow bigger while his touch grows stronger and then, his fingertips push against _that_ one spot, and he swallows her gasp into his mouth.

The kiss is broken and they pant for air, despite not really needing it.

Morning light gleams in Caroline's eyes, morning light and something else Klaus can't quite put his finger on, and it's tying a knot in his stomach - he hates not knowing things - but just when he's about to ask, she rests her hand on his cheek.

And smiles.

Klaus gulps when her fingers reach up and she starts playing with the strands of hair looming over his forehead. She fixes her gaze on him, biting on her lower lip before she says, "Good morning, Klaus."

It's Friday and they don't leave the room till late afternoon.

Next day, it's Saturday and she's stayed another night.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought, too :)**

 **And also, I just want to say...thank you, for all your unwavering support. I really appreciate it. I might not be around here as much as I used to but I still love klaroline and I still intend on finishing my stories and continuations of some of my one-shots (that refuse to stay ONE-shots, haha). I might venture into other fandoms a bit, I might be busy with real life and stuff but...I'm still here and I'll stay here, however long it takes :)**

 ***sorry for the awkward sappy moment***

 **Till next time,**

 **Kate**


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